Broken Emotion
by Fandomsarehere
Summary: Red X comes back into town and causes problems for Starfire and the team when he breaks a green globe on her uniform that helps channel her powers. Starfire's emotions and powers start shorting out on her and making her erratic. Robin tries to help, but keeps his true feelings to himself after being taught for so long that being a hero is more important than falling in love.
1. X Marks the Spot

A/N: I usually don't write Robstar, let alone straight ships, but I'm doing this for a friend who is writing me a Stormpilot fanfic (*screams*). Robstar is like my childhood ship so I'm actually really excited for this. Hope you guys enjoy it and updates won't be longer than two weeks.

X Marks the Spot

Beastboy had just ordered pizza for the team, dragging the titans away from their rooms and into the main foyer. The young heroes were sitting on the couch ready to eat, but refused to touch the meal, except for Beastboy.

Cyborg asked, "C'mon guys! Who told Beastboy he could order the pizza again?!"

"What? There's nothing wrong with it." Beastboy protested.

Cyborg huffed and replied, "Nothing wrong with it? Nothing _wrong_ with it?! I don't see any sausage, pork, or bacon! There isn't even pepperoni!"

"It's not exactly appetizing," Raven added.

"You guys know I can't eat meat. I'm a vegetarian. I turn into like half of those animals every day!" the green titan cried in his young cracking voice.

"Okay, but I need my red meat, Beastboy! I can't eat this tofu-"

"I'm sure we can find some sort of compromise," Robin interrupted before they would start wrestling on the floor like last time.

As Starfire picked up a second slice she said, "I actually find the pizza with the tofu very satisfying!"

Raven asked skeptically, "Do you even know what tofu is?"

"No, not exactly," Starfire had a quizzical look on her face "but on Tamaran there was a dish very similar in taste and texture."

As she reached for another slice all Robin could think about was how open-minded she was. He never found another person who was so caring and gentle. She always tried to make sure her teammates were okay and tried to cheer them up if they weren't. Robin even found himself letting his cold demeanor down and putting his determined mind aside whenever he was around Starfire.

Cyborg interrupted his thoughts and stated, "Well, I'm not eating this. Who wants Chinese?" Everyone raised their hands except for the vegetarian.

"Starfire?" Beastboy cried.

With her hand raised she explained, "I apologize, Beastboy, but I must admit. The Chinese food Cyborg orders provide much more taste than your tofu." Everyone started laughing, expect for Beastboy who was scowling with his arms crossed over his chest.

Cutting off the laughter, insistent alarms began blaring through the Titan Tower, alerting there was a crime in process.

Cyborg jumped to the monitors and read, "34th and 12th street! There's been a break in at the storage unit on the corner!"

Preparing his friends for action Robin yelled, "Titans, go!"

…..

When they arrived to the building, the lights were off and there seemed to be no guards present. Robin signaled for Raven and Starfire to fly up to the roof, while the rest went through the bottom floor windows. Once inside, they stepped lightly and followed rows of open storage units. Beastboy turned into a blood hound, sniffing for any scent of the criminal. There was a slight crash of metal, which made the boy raise one ear up, telling Robin the intruder was near. They turned the corner, looking down the hallway and saw Raven and Star fire at the other end. There was one storage unit open with faint noises leaking out into the hallway and Robin thought of one thing only: the criminal.

Before any of them could act, the criminal slid out with something under his arm. In his deep digital voice he said to Robin, "Hey, kid. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Red X" Robin narrowed his eyes and yelled, "what are you doing here?"

The criminal chuckled and replied, "Just doing a little grocery shopping."

Robin could hear the smirk across the dirt bag's face, which made him want to hit the guy even more. Red X pulled out a smoke bomb, but as the gas was being released Robin jump kicked the other man into the force field Raven created, knocking him down on the ground. Before Robin could get in another hit, the thief whipped out one of X's and sent Robin, Beastboy and Cyborg flying back into the wall.

He turned to the women and said, "I'm actually glad to see you two, again."

Ignoring his comment, Raven encircled herself with her black magic and began to chant, "Azarath Metrion Zin- _AHH"_ She landed hard on the floor and the sticky, red, goop growing out of the black sphere Red X threw at her was gluing her to the ground.

He ran past her and headed towards the windows until he heard, "Stop it right there!" Red X turned and saw Starfire floating in the air with her hands above her head, ready to fire her star bolts.

"You know, Sweetheart, I missed seeing you the most, especially those long legs of yours."

Trying to keep her anger under control, she strongly stated, "Excuse you, sir, but my friends call me, Starfire, and you are not my friend, so. Please. Remain. Silent!" Angry, neon, green burst of light shot through her hands, sending Red X back against the wall, which left a dent in the concrete when he fell back onto the ground.

He coughed out a weak chuckle as he got back up to his feet and said, "We should wrestle more, Cutie. It would be close to this, but I was thinking a little less cloth-" Star bolts came right for his chest until he cartwheeled to the side, avoiding more of Starfire's bolts.

She kept firing away and aimed right for his head until he ducked and flipped into the air, sending two of his X's right for her ankles and wrists. Her back hit the wall hard and she felt her hands and feet stuck against the concrete. She tried to fight against the rubber X's but they were too sturdy even for her strength.

Red X put his hand next to her head and said, "That's what I've always liked about your beloved Robin. When he made this suit he made sure to have something special for each one of his friends, so fighting you all isn't all that hard."

As Starfire tried to fight out of her restraints, she protested "I will admit that Robin is intelligent, which only means he will defeat you!"

Red X leaned in closer and she could feel his hot breath on her cheek as he continued, "I can tell why Robin likes you. Not only are you…" he traced his fingers from her cheek and down her neck, sending unwanted ice cold shivers down her spine, " _attractive_ , but you give him such loyalty and praise. Too bad Robin doesn't feel the same way" Feeling anger and frustration built up inside her.

She yelled at him, "Robin is a dear friend of mine, he would never-"

"Then why does he always put a mission ahead of you and you're worthless friends? That is why he created this suit in the first place, right?"

His hand was going lower and just past her collar bone when she heard, "Don't touch her!" A mix of red, green, and black flashed before her. Robin had slammed him down on the floor and punched him brutally left and right.

Robin had heard every word. After he got out of the trap, he sent Cyborg and Beastboy around the side to get multiple attacking points, but when he reached the entrance of the long hallway, he saw how close he was to her. How he was _touching her._ Robin had felt red hot rage in his stomach for letting anyone other than him touch her like that. Only he could do that. And to hear how flirty he was with her when she clearly was not enjoying it made Robin's anger grow even larger.

Before getting another punch to the face the criminal grabbed his fist and asked in his raspy digital voice, "You don't mind if I barrow your girlfriend for a minute, do you?" Robin gritted his teeth as anger spread across his face. His punches started getting sloppy and desperate.

"I'll take that as a no." Red X kicked him in his stomach, sending Robin flying away from him.

Luckily, as planned Beastboy stampeded towards him as a Rhino, while Cyborg cut Raven out. Red X kept using his belt to disappear and reappear, making it hard for Beastboy to adapt.

As the intruder disappeared again, he teased, "Catch me if you can, kid." Beastboy then accidently ran into the pole that was behind Red X before he faded away.

Once he reappeared Raven came flying in and sent Cyborg in the air, letting his arm canon loose onto the criminal. After sending another black ball of goop into his canon, Cyborg fell, but Raven trapped him in her force field.

Raven warned, "Don't move, X."

"Too late, Baby"

He disappeared from the black mass, catching her off guard, then reappeared running down the hall. The team ran after him, but Starfire got to him first, furious about his comments and actions from minutes before. She tackled him and sent him through a wall into the next room.

Starfire yelled at him, "You were not very nice from before and you are not very nice to my friends!" Star bolts blasted off one after another sending explosions in a straight line leading up to the thief.

The rest of her team caught up to them, but stayed behind the hole in the wall. They were waiting for the smoke to clear until they heard Red X pick up the item he came for and said, "I'd love to stay and chat, but I really need to get going."

He threw three X metal boomerangs at Starfire and vanished. She exploded two with her star bolts, but the third got her in the chest, breaking the green orb on her silver collar. Pain shot throughout her body, sending pin needles to the tip of her fingers emanating from her burning insides. She found herself asking why everything felt so empty as the agony ripped through her body. Soon, blackness clouded her vision and she felt the coolness of the floor on her skin, but not the physicality of it against her body. The last thing she heard was her screams and the worried voice of Robin.


	2. Close Calls

Close Calls

When the team had found her, she was just lying in the floor yelling in agony. Robin ran towards her first and picked her up in his arms. He tried to yell over her screams to get her to calm down, but it wasn't working. He could feel how her skin was on fire and her muscles were contracting. He tried to shake her or anything to get her to wake up, but she didn't respond. She was in pain. His best friend, someone he deeply cared about was in pain and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Robin felt useless, which only made his emotions more intense. Robin was panicking and the rest of the titans knew it.

Raven tried to take control of the situation and said, "We have to get her back to the Tower." Robin's panic quickly transformed into controlled anger.

With grimace in his voice, he picked Starfire up in his arms and said, "Let's go."

…..

Luckily, her screams and the pain stopped when they got her to the Tower, but she remained unconscious.

Robin walked into the treatment room and asked Cyborg, "How is she?"

"She'll be fine. She just needs some rest."

"Do you know what happened?"

"Well, when we got her down here I hooked her up to my scanners and it seemed that most of the transmitters in her brain were sending off signals that there was danger nearby, but she didn't even have any bruises from when she fell on the floor."

"Her brain was telling her she was in pain when she really wasn't at all."

"Exactly, so to stop the transmitters I gave her a dose of Bismuth Acid. It balanced out the alerting transmitters and endorphins, so she should be feeling back to normal."

Walking over to Starfire's bedside, he asked, "Do you know what caused it?"

"I'm guessing it has to do with the green things on her uniform. That's the only thing I could find wrong with her."

Robin took her hand in his and said, "Thank you, Cyborg. I really appreciate it."

"Of course, Robin. She's my friend, too. I just want her to be okay, and I'm really glad she has someone like you to look after her." The Boy Wonder was grateful he didn't tease him about holding Starfire's hand. He would probably say she was his girlfriend or something childish like that. Even though that was something he has wanted for a long time. Robin stroked her hand with his thumb, trying to soothe her in a way Cyborg wouldn't see.

He knew better though. The young hero wouldn't be able to be with Starfire, let alone anyone, if he were to keep living this life. He had been taught that the mission comes first and nothing else. Robin quickly turned and left his teammates.

….

Beastboy and Cyborg were playing an intense game of Racers 2000, a new videogame they bought, while Raven was sitting next to them trying to meditate. She thought if the two were very concentrated on the game, then they would be silent, but she soon found out that they were the exact opposite.

"BOO-YAH! Beat you, again, BB!" yelled Cyborg.

"Awe c'mon, Cy. Not cool! You totally cheated!" Beastboy yelled back.

"I did not cheat! You're just mad that you lost," Cyborg mockingly laughed. Raven's patience was wearing thin.

"I am not!"

"Uh, yeah you are" Raven sighed heavily, hoping they would shut up.

"No way! You cheated and you know it!"

"Be quiet!" Raven yelled over them, interrupting their petty argument. "I am trying to meditate, which requires silence, so please. Shut. Up." The two men remained silent as Raven closed her eyes, trying to find some peace.

Which didn't last long.

"Have you guys seen Robin lately?" Beastboy asked.

Cyborg said as he was pushing buttons on his game controller, "No, actually. Not since I got Starfire to the medical wing."

Giving up on her meditation, she floated down onto the couch and replied, "He's been in his room all day."

Beastboy asked as he was playing the videogame, "Do you think he's sad?"

Cyborg replied, "Nah, doesn't sound like him. He's probably trying to find Red X since he escaped last time."

"Robin never does anything other than 'the mission'. I don't get why that guy is always so uptight." Beastboy said, losing another game to Cyborg.

Raven explained, "Robin thinks the best way to help Starfire is to catch Red X. That's all he knows how to do, so don't judge him for trying to help in his own way."

Beastboy added, "Okay, but why is he always so brooding and mysterious." He then put his arm over his nose as if he had a cape covering his body up to his eyes.

"We all have a past, Beastboy, and some were harder than others." Raven said leaving the other two quiet as they played their videogame. Raven was secretly happy that she got both of them to shut up.

…

Robin sat at his desk, staring at his screen, which was the only source of light in the room. He had been searching databases, watching surveillance feeds, looking up police reports and listening to the Jump City PD radio. After days of dead ends and no answers, he was getting frustrated. To make things better Starfire hadn't woke up yet. It wasn't that there was no good news. It was that there's no news at all. No leads, nothing to go on, no hope. The Boy Wonder had the urge to throw his computer across the room. He needed to hit something. He got out of his chair and was about to go to the training room inside the Tower when a kind face appeared outside his door.

"Hello, Robin!" Starfire said cheerfully.

How are you doing?" Robin asked.

"I am feeling much better! Cyborg has returned me to the health and I am ready for combat!" she pumped a fist into the air.

"Oh, well I was going to the training room, so see you later." Before he left he turned to her and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better, Star"

She felt her stomach drop at her friend's reaction. Could she even call him her friend? Time after time she had to question his actions and her own feelings. Even at the storage building he yelled for Red X to not touch her and then attacked him. Maybe he was just trying to defeat Red X, or was it because he was worried for her safety, but as a friend or something more? She outwardly groaned. Human interaction had been always hard for her to understand, especially with Robin. It had her question their relationship many times.

She had hoped that Robin would be overjoyed to see her well after three days in bed, but she knew deep inside she was hoping for too much. Robin was never one to show much emotion, but luckily he was better at that than Raven. Thinking of her good friend, she headed off to Raven's room.

She knocked on her door and called, "Raven? Raven, are you there? I was wondering if you would like to do the hanging out."

After a few seconds of no response she knocked again, "Raven? Rav-"

"What?" the door had slid open to reveal an irritated titan.

"Oh, well, I was thinking we could have the hanging out or watch some television or maybe even we could trade embarrassing stories about boys-"

"No." With that Raven closed the door and walked back into her room.

Starfire asked, "Are you sure? I could make you Garblon. It is a special meal on my home world and it has always brought my people together. We could-"

"Alright. Since you won't leave me alone, I guess we can hang out." When the door opened, Starfire cheered and clapped her hands.

"Oh, how wonderful!" she walked into her friend's room only to find dark, eerie objects. There was a dark purple rug that led to her bed. Scary masks hung on her wall next to the slanted mirror. The windows were covered, leaving the room dark. She was taken aback, but didn't let it show. She didn't want to offend Raven.

Unsure of what to do Starfire's friend asked, "So, um what would you like to do?"

"We could trade stories."

Raven wasn't used to a lot of hanging out with her friends one on one, especially with her overly happy friend, Starfire. She didn't want to share any of her past including her father, so she suggested for Starfire to share first. Besides, Raven pretty much knew what this was actually about.

Starfire began, "Robin is confusing."

Raven asked, "What do you mean?"

"When we were fighting Red X at the storage facility, Robin had attacked him and yelled for him not to touch me. I was thinking maybe he acted in such a way because he was very worried for me, but maybe it was like how any friend would." Frustrated she walked over to Raven's bed and plopped herself down onto it. "Oh, I don't know! The only thing I do know is that I have strong feelings for him. They're not like what I feel for you or Cyborg or Beastboy. They are something more."

"Starfire, I'm pretty sure you're in love with Robin." Raven stated, trying to get this conversation over with.

Her teammate looked down at her hands and said, "It doesn't matter if I am or not. He does not share my feelings."

"I can't be very in touch with my feelings since my powers depend on it, but I can tell Robin feels the same way you do."

Starfire looked up and asked, "How can you tell?"

"Like me, Robin tries to keep his emotions in check. I do it to control my powers. He does it to remain focused, but when he is around you he lets his walls down. He looks happier, less serious. More like the teenager we all forget we are. He lets his emotions show when he is around you." She meant every word, but also hoped this would get her out of her room, so she could get back to studying her books.

With the stars back in her eyes, Starfire exclaimed, "Thank you, Raven! I feel overjoyed now that I have heard your advice!" she ran over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, almost choking her, "Is there anything you would like to talk about?" Starfire set her down.

Raven cleared her throat and fixed her cape then said, "No, not really." Raven was glad she could help, but was ready for her to leave.

"Oh, um okay. Maybe instead we can-"

"Actually I would like to get back to my reading," Raven said, trying not to hurt her feelings, but trying to get her to leave.

"I understand," she said as she floated to the door. When she was outside she turned and said, "Thank you very" The door then slid shut. "much."

…

Robin had been punching the same punching bag for the past 3 hours. He kept thinking back to when Red X had touched Starfire and how flirtatious he was. What made it all worse was that he had no leads on the criminal at all. Feeling useless, he buried his hands deep into the sack, sending sweat off his forehead and grunts bouncing off the walls. With his red boxing gloves on, punch after punch after punch flew out his hands. He couldn't stop and had no desire to. He pummeled the bag trying to break it in half. Red X hurt Starfire. Red X got away, and there was nothing Robin could do about it. His yells filled the training room until he fell on his knees, breathing heavily.

When his knees hit the concrete, Robin felt his anger dissipate and his body relax. As he controlled his breathing, he took off his boxing gloves and walked over to the small table near him. The young hero picked up a towel to clean off his sweat. He swung the towel over his shoulders and held his gloves in one hand. He was going to get a drink of water, but then he heard screams and explosions in the tower.

"Titans!" Robin yelled as he abandoned his gloves and towel. He ran down the hall and into the foyer of the Tower. He met up with Raven, Cyborg, and Beastboy near the doorway.

"What was that?" Beastboy asked.

Cyborg answered, "I don't know, but my systems say that there wasn't any break-in"

"Whatever it was, it's not gonna like us," Robin said as he walked into the room. The couch was destroyed, a few of the monitors broken, and the windows were cracked.

Suddenly, " _Whoa, whoa, AHHHHH!_ " Starfire flew across the room, sending herself into the wall, while star bolts burst against the floor. Puffs of smoke and green light began to fill the room.

Robin called out, "Starfire!"

"Robin! I don't know what's- _AHHH"_

"Titans, go!" More and more bolts were fired away as Starfire was flying all around the room. Beastboy flew up as a bird, but then transformed into a gorilla mid-fall to catch her, but a star bolt rammed right into his chest. Raven tried to surround her with a force field, but Starfire accidently flew right into her, knocking her down to the ground. Luckily, Cyborg launched a net, pulling her down to the floor. She kept flying up and to the side, but after a few moments her body calmed down and stayed to the floor. Robin ran to her, not sure what to think.

"Starfire! Are you okay?" he threw the net off of her and helped her to her feet. He let his hand stay on her arm. He told himself it was to make her feel better.

"Yes, I am fine"

Beastboy asked, "Why were you going so crazy?"

Raven slapped the back of his head and asked, "He means to ask what happened."

"Well, I was just about to watch some television when the color of my green receptors started flickering. I soon felt sick to my stomach and I did not know what was happening. All of a sudden, I was flying around the room and my star bolts were firing. I had no control over myself." She looked down at the ground.

Cyborg asked, "So, those green things on your uniform do what?"

"They help keep my powers stable when I am in combat. I have never seen them flicker in this way before. The one of my chest, though, never lit up."

Beastboy asked, "Are your powers broken because the green thing on your chest is?"

Starfire touched the green receptor on her chest her fingers lightly and replied, "I'm not sure."

…

The girl from Tamaran was sitting on her bed thinking about what happened that day. She kept touching the orb, feeling along the lines where it had cracked. There was a knock at the door and she heard a muffled voice.

"Uh, hey, Star. It's Robin. I wanted to make sure you were okay,"

She opened the door and all Robin could focus on was how beautiful she was. He noticed the unusual intensity of her green eyes and the way her long, red, hair reached down her back. Her skin was one of his favorite things about her, though. It had this orange glow that wasn't too alien, but not human enough. It made her different. It made her special. Though, not in the way where she was odd, but how she was her completely own thing. She was something new, something amazing.

"Robin!" she yelled, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, uh, sorry, Star."

"I asked you what you wanted to talk about, but you seemed to not have heard me," Starfire said.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You" Robin cursed himself, "I was thinking about you and wondering if you were okay" Nice save, Robin, if you could call it that.

"Let me put your mind at ease. Will you please come in." she said and stepped aside to let him into her room. Her bedroom was filled with warm and inviting colors, making him feeling a little out of place. It was tidy and clean, with everything having its own place. Her circular bed was against the far end of the wall, while her dresser was on the side. Dark purples and light pinks drenched the room.

Starfire walked over to her bed, sat down and said, "I am feeling much better after what happened in the foyer. I think I just needed some rest." Robin sat next to her on the bed and felt his heart rate rise.

He asked, "Are you sure because that didn't seem like something you could just sleep off?"

Starfire gave in and added, "I must admit I haven't been feeling myself." She held the inside of her elbow. "The green receptors on my uniform help channel my powers during combat. My abilities are most powerful during our missions, so that is why I need the receptors most when there is an attack. When Red X broke the one on my chest, it must have thrown my powers off." She looked down at her hands in her lap.

"I am not in control at the moment, Robin." She felt powerless and small.

He took her hand in his own and intertwined their fingers. Her hand was so soft and warm in his own. He looked up at her, but she was still looking down. He gently grabbed her chin and had her look at him.

He said in a hushed voice, "It's okay, Star. We all had to learn how to use our abilities and sometimes we had to learn all over again. I know I did."

She scooted a little closer to him and asked, "What do you mean?"

"When I was younger, I was in the circus and I was an acrobat. My father had shown me how to fly from pole to pole and how to do flips twenty feet in the air. I was scared at first, but I slowly learned how to overcome it. When I became Robin, I had to learn how to fight, how to use what I knew and apply it in a whole new way. I had to start all over and I was scared the second time, too, but I knew I could overcome it. The same way I now know you can overcome this."

Starfire broke into a smile and giggled, which brought his attention to her lips. He saw how soft and _new and amazing_ they looked. He scooted a little closer and wanted nothing more than to kiss her softly and gently. The way she deserved to be held.

She noticed how close they had gotten and the fact that they were on her bed, but she didn't stand up or lean back. She didn't want to. Starfire saw the way his hair was perfectly gelled and how strong and determined he was on every mission. Another thing she admired about him was during combat, he trusted her to not only be able to fend for herself, but to actually take part on the team. Even though, she didn't mind waking up in his arms after she had fallen, headache aside.

Raven was right. He did let his emotions show when he was around her. That fact made her heart swell. She felt herself lean in even closer to him.

"Robin, thank you for understanding" They were getting closer by the second and she felt her eyelids get heavy. She tilted her head just slightly.

"No problem, Star." He felt her hand in his and how warm it was. She was so close, he could feel her body heat wrap around him, making him feel so safe and warm. When he tilted his head, his knee bumped into her thigh, sending fireworks on his skin.

As his eyes closed and he drew nearer, he remembered what happened to her, what Red X did, and how Red X escaped. He failed the mission and let his emotions cloud his focus. Robin pulled back, stopping what might've turned into a kiss.

"But I have to find Red X. He's the one who did this to you and I let him escape. He's on the streets and I have to bring him to justice." he said, getting up and letting her hand go.

"Robin, wait. It was not-"

"Don't worry, Starfire. I'll find him." He was already out the door before she could say anything else. Starfire didn't know what to do. For a second she felt so warm and herself, again, but then Robin changed the atmosphere just by leaving. She was so sure Robin loved her, but he walked away as they were about to…possibly kiss. She thought of kissing him, of how he would hold her cheek with his strong, calloused, hands and pull her in slowly until her soft lips met his. At the thought, butterflies were let loose in her stomach, but there was excitement in her heart. Returning back to reality, she remembered he walked out so abruptly, almost like they didn't almost kiss. Starfire felt lost and scared all over again.


	3. Out of Control

Out of Control

Robin had been in his room for days looking for anything on Red X. He told himself that this wasn't starting to be a new obsession, but he knew he was just lying to himself. Red X was just another criminal. It's not like he was an evil mastermind like Slade, but none of the less Red X hurt Starfire. No, he did more than that. He broke her. The only way he could fix her was to find Red X and bring him to justice. Maybe he would know something.

While searching for the criminal, Robin shifted his focus from finding where Red X was to finding out what he had stolen. That way, he could know what his motives were. The storage building held records on who used which lockers, but there was a confidentiality agreement with their customers. Robin wouldn't be able to find out what exactly the thief had stolen, but he could find out who he had stolen from. If Robin could track down him, he could figure out what Red X had taken and what his true plans were.

After a few clicks on his keyboard the name he had been looking for popped up: Joshua Campbell. A civilian like that wouldn't be in hiding, so it wasn't hard to find him using face recognition with the city's surveillance cameras. Robin grabbed his utility belt and walked out of his room. Lost in thought, he turned the corner and almost bumped right into Cyborg.

The taller man looked down and asked, "Whoa, you okay, Robin."

"I'm fine, just looking into a lead." he said as he brushed past him.

"Wait you got something on Red X?" Robin stopped, but his back was still facing his friend.

"Maybe. I tracked down the guy who owned the storage unit, and if I can get him to tell me what Red X took, I can find out what his next move is."

"Alright!" Cyborg pumped a fist in the air. "I've been waiting all week to kick some bad guy butt!"

Crushing his excitement, Robin snapped, "I'm going alone."

Robin turned around and explained, "I don't want Starfire to go out on another mission until she feels better." Cyborg walked over to him and put his arm on his shoulder to calm him down.

He looked down at Robin and said warmly, "Starfire is a tough girl. She can handle herself, but if it makes you feel any better I'll go with you. If the whole team can't go with, you'll need at least some back up."

"You're right, Cyborg. Starfire has always been capable of defending herself. With her strength, I don't ever want to be caught in a fight with her."

Cyborg chuckled and said, "Me neither. So, where is this guy anyway?"

"He's near the center of Jump City, where most criminals live. That should give us a clue as to what he was really keeping in that locker." Robin walked to the garage with Cyborg close behind.

…..

A man came stumbling out of a bar's back door and into the alleyway. It was wet and dark all except for the dim light bulb that hung above the dumpster. The air stung the man's nose. It smelled of rotting garbage and dirty water. He was fumbling around in his pocket for his keys and soon found out he wasn't as tipsy he thought he was. He found the key to his car, until he felt something grab his shoulder and shove him into the wall. He looked up and saw Robin, the boy wonder, glaring at him.

With his arm across the drunk man's chest he almost yelled, "Joshua Campbell, you're storage locker was broken into almost a week ago. What was stolen?" Robin took in the man's features. He was in his late 40's and wrinkles started forming around mouth, but not as much around his eyes. The young detective thought the other man didn't smile a whole lot. With his hair thinning and balding, Robin could see the spots on his head. He could even smell the alcohol resonating in Joshua's breath and his short, curly beard.

After no response Robin grabbed Joshua and slammed him against the wall a second time. The titan yelled, "What was stolen?"

"I-I-I don't know! I swear!" he cried. The man against the wall looked to his left and saw Cyborg with his arms crossed looking for an answer.

Cyborg caught him staring and said, "You know, if don't stop staring I'm gonna have to show you my arm canon." His hand transformed into the weapon. Cyborg knew they were being a little too harsh on the guy, but he never intended to actually use the blaster.

Joshua put his hands up and stuttered, "O-okay, okay, I'll talk. I'll talk. A crate of pure Tantalum was taken from my storage unit about a week ago like you said. Can I go now?" Robin slammed him against the wall for the third time, gripping his stained shirt.

Robin shouted, "What were you doing with Tantalum?" Cyborg put a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him to call down.

Trying to distract Robin, Cyborg asked him calmly, "What is Tantalum?"

"It's a powerful element that is the main component to Red X's suit." Robin's eyes darkened. "I would know. I was the one who made it."

Answering the young man who was tightly gripping his shirt, he admitted, "Look, I find some wanted items and I bring 'em here to Jump City to get some cash."

Robin furrowed his brow, "You're a smuggler?"

A little worried for the other man's safety Cyborg interrupted, "Do you know where we can find Red X?"

"Is that the guy who stole from me?"

"Answer the question, Joshua." Robin demanded, ignoring his question.

"I don't know where he is," the titan in front of him scowled, "but I do know where he's gonna be." After confessing he had ears all around town, he told them the location. The tipsy man was glad they left him alone and he felt way more sober after meeting the two superheroes.

…

When they returned to the Tower, Cyborg pulled his friend aside and asked, "Robin, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." he claimed as he walked down the hall with Cyborg.

"No, you're not, man. You've been obsessing over this Red X guy. This isn't like you."

Robin sighed and stopped to look at Cyborg, "I know. It's just that he hurt Starfire and now her powers-"

"Robin, she will be fine, and finding Red X isn't going help Starfire. We'll catch this guy, but you gotta calm down."

"You're right. Thank you, Cyborg."

"No problem, man."

…..

"Red X stole a crate of Tantalum from Joshua Campbell, owner of the storage unit he broke into. Tantalum is what powers his suit, which means he is running low on weapons. If we strike now we can easily arrest him and take him to jail." Robin explained. The team was sitting on their couch as he told them the plan.

Beastboy raised his hand and sheepishly asked, "Is Starfire gonna come with us because well… you know."

Starfire was about to suggest that it would be better for her to stay here, but Robin said, "Don't worry, Beastboy. I've heard she can take care of herself. Right, Starfire?"

"Yes, you are correct." she tried to say confidently. Starfire made sure to ignore her doubts and instead smiled at Robin's faith in her.

"Alright, then." The young hero grabbed his communicator, indicating his presentation was done. "Let's go catch this guy. Titans, go!"

…..

"Stop it right there, Red X!" Starfire commanded. The team had found him in an abandoned warehouse. By the looks of it, it was where his home base was.

Red X was caught off guard, but smoothed it over with, "Can I call this our second date?" With that Robin pulled out his metal staff, flipped in the air, and struck him when he came down. Red X then kicked his opponent's feet out from under him, making Robin fall and hit his head.

Raven grabbed two wooden boxes and flung them at the criminal, hoping they would crush him. He ducked out of the way and threw another black sphere of red goop at her, but she sliced it in half with black magic. She was not going to fall for the same trick twice. He ran towards her, but she lifted a rock from the ground in front of him. Instead of running into the rock, he jumped on top of it and kicked Raven in the chest, sending her back down to the ground.

Then, Cyborg came running towards him, shooting his arm canon at him. Red X leaped out of the way, running away from the laser. As the criminal threw an X at him, Cyborg easily dodged it, but the X grew and stuck to the shelves next to him, sending them towards the hero and crushing him.

Red X was about to run for the door when a tiger ran over the pile of shelves and leaped at the criminal. The green tiger opened his mouth, ready to hurt him with his teeth. To avoid getting eaten, the thief threw a sticky X at the animal's mouth, shutting it closed.

To his surprise, Cyborg, Raven, Robin, and Beastboy all got up, ready to attack him all at once. They were closing in on him, so he slapped on a smirk under that mask and beckoned, "C'mon, kids. I'm right here, aren't I?" Beastboy, still in his Tiger mode, pounced, but Red X had disappeared by the time his giant paws touched the floor. They all looked up and saw him standing on a tall stack of crates.

"Better luck next, time." As he was about to disappear again, Starfire tackled him to the ground.

She hovered above him and stated, "You are going to leave my friends alone." She was about to blast him with one of her star bolts, but then the green light from her hands flickered and she felt herself falling. What was happening? She tried shooting more bolts, but none came.

"Need any help over there, sweetheart?" Before she could even reply, she fell into the stack of boxes, breaking them beneath her.

"Starfire!" the whole team yelled. They ran over to her and helped her up. When they turned around, the criminal was gone. Robin felt anger well up inside him. How could they lose him all over again? He tried so hard finding him, yet they still couldn't catch him.

"I apologize. I let him escape." Starfire looked down at the ground and held her arm. All of Robin's fury melted away.

He asked her in a gentle voice, "Starfire, are you okay?" Red X didn't matter right now. What mattered was if she was alright. If his friends were alright, he corrected himself.

"Yes, I am fine." she was still looking down at her boots.

Beastboy tried to lighten the mood by telling her, "Hey, it's okay, Starfire. We all get messed up on missions from time to time." Starfire began to get irritated. She wanted to belief she was still in control, even if she had told Robin otherwise.

Beastboy continued, "One time I turned into a mouse instead of an elephant. I almost got squished." He giggled.

"I. Am not. Messed Up." Starfire claimed, tightening her hands into fists and keeping her anger under control.

"Wait, no that's not what I meant, I was trying to say that it's okay that-"

"I lost control?" she interrupted. If she had lost control over her powers, it meant that she had lost control over her emotions. They are what fueled her star bolts, gave her strength, and made her fly. Without her powers, she was nothing to the team. She was useless.

Robin stepped in and added reassuringly, "Starfire, it's okay. We can fix you."

"I do not need to be repaired, Robin!" she yelled at him. No, she was not broken, she still had her powers. She could feel them deep inside. She wasn't useless. She wasn't broken.

"Star…I'm-" Neon green bursts of light hit his chest and sent him across the room. Her eyes and hands were green and she was breathing heavily with red hot rage in her chest. She was angry, but when she saw Robin moaning in pain across the floor, she calmed down. She looked at her hands and saw the green energy fade away. She hurt her best friend. She hurt Robin. How could she do that? He was only trying to help.

She looked at Cyborg, Raven, and Beastboy. They were all just staring at her with shock in their eyes. Starfire thought they must have all seen her as a monster. As the crazed alien when they first met her, back when she didn't know what "nice" meant. She was certainly not being nice at that moment. Starfire didn't know what to say or what to do, so she left and flew out of there as fast as she could.

She did not understand her powers anymore. Something she knew her whole life felt foreign to her all over again. It frightened her.

As the wind threatened to silence it, Robin's voice echoed in her ears. _I had to start all over and I was scared the second time, too, but I knew I could overcome it. The same way I now know you can overcome this._

…..

When the rest of the team got back to the Titan Tower, they found Starfire in her room moving her clothes, hair brush, anything she had into a her alien bag. They were standing in her doorway and watched how she flew back and forth across her room, packing things up.

When she noticed them, she floated on the ground and asked, "Robin, are you alright?" He realized he was holding his side when she asked him.

He let his hand drop and replied, "Yeah, Star. I'm fine, just a little bruised." She avoided his and everyone else's eyes.

"I apologize for the way I acted earlier today. I was rude and I let Red X get away."

Robin told her, "Don't worry about it. We'll get him next time."

"There won't be a next time." she muttered as she folded another skirt into the bag.

Raven asked, "What does that mean?"

"My powers depend on my emotions, so I am going back home to Tamaran to see my family. Hopefully I will feel better when I see them and they can help…fix me. I will not be as messed up when I return."

Beastboy pleaded, "Starfire, that's not what I meant. I was just trying to say it's okay you weren't your best tonight."

"No, Beastboy. I am messed up and broken." She had come to terms with that during her flight back. "I cannot control my emotions, which means I cannot control my powers. I am now useless on our missions. I cannot be part of the team anymore."

Cyborg piped up, "That's not true. I can train you using the new fighting simulation I just downloaded."

"And I can help with you controlling your emotions." Raven suggested.

"I can help you learn how to fight hand to hand." Robin added.

Beastboy put his pointer finger up and continued, "And don't forget. You need someone to show you how to beat Cyborg at all the videogames." Starfire kept packing her bags. She moved in a straight line back and forth across the room without interruption. It was almost mesmerizing.

Her powers were all she had ever known and she wasn't ready to try something different. If she did, it meant she lost a part of her that made her who she is. She would no longer be Starfire.

"Thank you, friends." She turned to look at them and added, "I greatly appreciate you all trying to help me, but it would be better if I went home and got…back to normal." She went back to packing. Starfire felt strange. Not a strange feeling, but who she was felt strange to her. She felt "off" as many would explain it.

"When will you get back?" Beastboy asked with his voice somber and low. As she put her last skirt away, she slowed her movements.

She turned to him and answered gently, "I am not sure." She grabbed her bag and walked past them and to the front door. Robin ran after her and grabbed her arm.

"Wait, you're leaving now?" Hurt laced his voice. Starfire tried her best to not turn around. She didn't want to see his face.

"Yes. I'm sorry Robin for hurting you earlier." She turned around completely to look at Beastboy, but avoided Robin's eyes. "And I'm sorry for being so rude to you when you were trying to help, when you were all trying to help." She walked away and headed out to the field where a spaceship came by and picked her up. Cyborg, Raven, Beastboy, and Robin all waved goodbye and realized that there was no changing her mind.


	4. Missing You

A/N: I'm gonna be honest and say that I'm sorry if Galfore is not in character. There aren't too many scenes with him in the show, but I tried my best, guys. This chapter is really feely touchy and not much action so here we goooooooooooooo. AND PLS LEAVE REVIEWS THEY GIVE ME LIFE. By the way, thank you R0bstarfan13 for saying such nice things last chapter!

Missing You

Robin and the rest of the team were in the main foyer watching another terrible horror movie Beastboy picked out. It had only been a few weeks since Starfire left, but the Boy Wonder couldn't keep her out of his head. As the giant monster tried to eat a beautiful girl on screen, he was lost in thought.

Robin realized that everything slowly fell apart. He just didn't see it fade away because he was too focused on finding Red X. He was too focused on the mission. Starfire leaving was all his fault. He wasn't there for her when she needed him to be because he was too busy in his room trying to find the criminal. Now she was gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Robin felt himself go in a full circle of failure. He let Red X escape and he let Starfire leave…all because of him.

Robin thought back to all the recent events before she left. He wanted to know when it all went wrong. He remembered how flirty Red X was with Starfire, which only made Robin frustrated. He thought it best to ignore Red X completely for the moment. He only stole Tantalum to restore his suit, so he wasn't any more dangerous than before.

Robin had gotten so angry, especially after he found out that Red X had hurt Starfire so badly, she had lost control over her powers. Starfire looked so sad and broken when she told him that. He remembered how she almost whispered it.

He also remembered that they were in her room. On her bed. About to kiss. Robin thought back to the moment and imagined closing the gap. Her soft lips would touch his own and they would move together softly and gently. He then would hold the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. As his tongue would lick the seal of her lips he imagined her getting startled and asking, "Robin, what are you doing?"

He would reply, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, of course."

With the crooked smile he always gave her he would say, "Then close your eyes." Robin imagined himself leaning back in giving her the kiss she had never experienced before. Then, laying her down on the bed and letting his hands softly touch her sides as he let his tongue go past her lips. He thought of the squeak she would make among other sounds. He then thought about letting his hand slip into-

Robin stopped himself before his body would do something to embarrass him in front of his friends. They were sitting next to him after all.

The young hero changed his focus back onto the movie. The pretty girl from earlier managed to escape the monster's grasp, but she was walking around in a dark house. Robin noted that there was no background music. Before he could conclude that a jump scare was coming up, it had already gotten Beastboy, who was now cowering behind the couch. Robin chuckled and looked to his left. He expected to see Starfire hiding under a few blankets, but the seat next to him was empty. He felt a dull pain in his chest.

He missed Starfire. He missed her emerald eyes. He missed her long, red, hair and the way she would close her eyes when a small giggle escaped her lips. He missed the soft orange glow of her skin and how she was always so confused with Earth customs. To Robin, her cluelessness didn't make her seem stupid. It only made her seem more adorable.

With his feet already on the table, the titan laid his head on his hand. He tried his best to focus on the movie and to stop thinking about Starfire.

Beastboy looked over and saw the way Robin's mask slumped. Beastboy whispered to Raven, "Is Robin okay?"

She said flatly, "Starfire left and Robin hasn't been taking it well."

"But, she's only been gone like 3 weeks."

"Beastboy, it's pretty obvious that he's in love with her. I'm surprised even you didn't see it." He scowled at her comment.

He crossed his arms and said grumpily, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Shh! I'm trying to watch the movie." Cyborg loudly whispered. Robin looked over to his friends bickering and chuckled. Starfire was gone, but he was glad that his other friends were still here. Failing to keep her out of his thoughts, he hoped she was feeling better or at least happier.

…

Starfire was sitting in her old room on Tamaran. She looked around and saw the large mirrors above her desk, the extravagant bed, the joyful colors, and the balcony she and Robin once stood on when she was betrothed. Robin. Starfire sighed and wondered what he would be doing right now. Probably on his computer trying to find Red X. She did let him escape after all.

When Starfire came home she was welcomed by a party and a grand feast thrown by the people of Tamaran and her adoptive father, Galfore. Everyone was overjoyed to see the princess once again. Luckily, her sister, Blackfire, wasn't home and in prison. Starfire didn't think she could handle her cruel words at the moment.

The green eyed alien thought that after being surrounded by such joy and love from her people and family her powers would be easily restored, but that was not the case. She missed her friends. She missed Beastboy's childish jokes and Cyborg's joyful mannerisms and Raven's rare wisdom, but most of all she missed Robin. She wanted to see that crooked smile he reserved only for her and the perfectly spiked hair he did every day. Robin may have always been dedicated to whatever mission they were on and an intelligent and strong leader, but in between catching criminals he was always kind and gentle to his friends. He did not show it all the time, but he deeply cared for them and knew how important they were to have in his life. She wanted to hear him say that nickname he had given her, "Star". She wanted to hear his voice.

There was a knock at her door. "Please, come in." she called. The door opened and Galfore tried his best to get through the door. He was very large and wide, which was perfect for intimidating his enemies, but not helpful when getting through doors. His struggle made Starfire giggle, something she hadn't done in a while.

"Hello, Galfore. What brings you to my room?" He walked over to her and sat on her bed, heavily squishing one side.

He answered, "When you came home, I was beyond overjoyed to see you return to us, but it was unexpected." Her heart sank.

"You do not wish for me to be home."

"No, I am just surprised. You came home without a reason and you have not been acting like yourself. Tell me. What is wrong?"

Starfire sighed and faced her loving friend and father, "On Earth, a criminal broke one of my green receptors."

"I've noticed the crack. Is that why you are not as joyous as you usually are?"

Starfire answered, "Yes, I believe so. I came here, hoping to feel better and happier, but nothing has changed. I feel the same."

"Well, in order to feel happy in one's life one must rid the demons in their life. What else is troubling you, Starfire?" Galfore asked. She held her elbow and hesitated telling him about Robin. Was that even the real reason why she felt this way? Starfire opened her mouth to tell him, but closed it still unsure.

"Am I not your Knorfka? You can tell me anything." he told her.

After a short pause, she said, "On Earth, there is a boy named, Robin."

"Is he one of your friends from the 'Teen Titans'?" he asked trying to remember the name of the group.

"Yes. For a long time, I have had the special feelings for him. I wish to have them reciprocated, but he is very dedicated to the life of crime fighting. I have been told he too shares these emotions, but I am not sure if he will ever tell me or if I should ever tell him."

After a moment, Galfore responded, "Starfire, as you know our powers heavily depend on our emotions and as Tamaraneans, we feel strongly. If not telling him your true feelings causes you to feel this way, then it would be best to confess them."

"But what if he does not feel the same and I was wrong? What if he does not wish to stay friends afterwards?" she pondered and looked down at her boots. He got up from the bed and put a giant hand on her small shoulder.

He asked, "You must be brave, Starfire." She still did not seem convinced, but considered his words. "Besides, who wouldn't want to be friends with someone as lovely and kind as you?" She giggled and flew up to his shoulders to hug him.

"Thank you, Galfore!" she cheered. "Your advice has been most wonderful!"

Sadness quickly crossed his face, but tried his best to hide it as he asked, "Does this mean you are leaving for Earth once again?"

She giggled again and replied, "Not yet. I do wish to spend time with you and explore more of Tamaran."

He gave a hearty laugh and hugged her tighter, "Stupendous!"

…

Cyborg was walking down the hall of the Titan tower, looking for Robin. He was hoping to talk to him. Lately, the young hero seemed angry, gloomy, and unfocused, which was odd for him. There was a break in at a jewelry store last week, but Robin had been clumsy and without Starfire there were holes in their attack methods. The criminal got away, which made Robin furious. When Starfire left, it was hard on everyone and everyone knew it was the hardest on the Boy Wonder.

Cyborg checked the training room, the main foyer, and the garage, but didn't find him. He concluded his friend must be in his own room. Once he got there, he knocked on the door. It slid open to reveal Robin standing so still he seemed peaceful.

Robin asked irritated, "What?"

 _Seemed_ peaceful.

"I was wondering how you were doing."

"What do you mean?" the Robin growled.

"Well, you've been kind of grumpy and sloppy in your fighting techniques. I was gonna say I could help you train with the new computer simulator fight sequence I just downloaded, but I'm pretty sure that's not the problem." Robin sighed and walked back into his room with Cyborg following.

"You're right and I'm sorry about being so angry lately. I've just…Starfire isn't here and things feel… different."

Cyborg leaned against the wall and crossed his arms and said, "I know what you mean. The team isn't the same without her."

Robin slumped down in his chair and admitted, "I can't stop thinking about her. That's probably why I've been so distracted when we are out on missions."

A smile spread across Cyborg's face as he teased, "You miss her, don't you?"

Robin sat up straight and stuttered, "Wha-what? No I don't."

His friend's smile grew even bigger as he said sarcastically, "Uh huh. Riiiiiight. Guess that means I should pack some of her things in case she wants to stay at Tamaran for a little longer?"

"NO!" Robin yelled getting out of his seat. Mortified he muttered, "Uh, I mean, no. It's only been a few weeks. She's probably better now."

Cyborg walked up to him and said, "If you miss her so badly why don't you go and see her." Robin looked at the wall and thought about it.

"I shouldn't."

"Go on, man. BB, Raven, and I can handle the city while you're gone. If anything happens I can contact you with the communicators. The spaceship has a hotspot, so you'll be in range."

"Alright, I'll tell Starfire you and everyone said hi." Robin told his friend.

Cyborg was about to walk out when he teased over his shoulder, "Have fun with your girrrlfrieeend." He laughed as he walked out the door, leaving a very embarrassed Robin.


	5. New Worlds

New Worlds

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I'm finally home to post this! I was originally going to basically end the fic here, but I thought you guys deserved some more, so I hope you like what I got planned. This chapter is also more touchy-feely stuff, but don't worry the wonderful angst is coming your way. Enjoy!

"T-10 minutes until arrival." the automated voice from Robin's spaceship announced. There was a tingly feeling in his stomach that he hadn't felt in a long time. He was nervous. He was never nervous and he told himself that he shouldn't be. He's only going to visit Starfire and nothing more. Though, he did wish he could just whisk her away back to Earth and to the Teen Titans, but he wanted to respect her decision.

In all honesty, he didn't know what he was going to say to her. He was thinking she could show him around her home world, but maybe she wouldn't be in the mood. What if she didn't even want to see him? Robin sighed as he remembered how Starfire didn't look at him once as she was leaving. It was like she was avoiding him. She had every right to, though. The last thing he said to Starfire was that he could fix her as if she was just a broken toy. That interaction didn't end very well, but he didn't even get to say goodbye or apologize. She probably hated him. He was already regretting going on this trip, but he was too low on fuel to turn back.

As he turned the steering wheel of the spaceship, his hands felt hot and sweaty in his slick, dark green gloves. The tingling feeling in his stomach got harder to ignore and his heart rate sped up. He groaned out loud and told himself to calm down. Maybe she was over it by now. He didn't know and that only made matters worse.

Robin descended into Tamaran's atmosphere, and entered the location where he and the team landed last time into the ship's GPS. Before he knew it, he and the spacecraft were on the ground. When he walked up to the castle's entrance, Robin was welcomed by two guards.

The one on his left told him in a demanding and strong voice, "Zal. Rutha zalworg tobeckplizing zorgmorker?" Robin was dumbfounded. He had completely forgotten about the language barrier. Usually, Cyborg had a translator on him, but Robin was alone and a little disappointed in himself that he wasn't more prepared.

In a weak attempt to communicate Robin replied, "Uhh. My name is Robin. I am a member of the Teen Titans. I came to see Starfire." After a moment of blank stares he added, "You may also know her as Koriand'r?"

"Clorbag vorblernelk." the one on the right said before he walked away. Hopefully they knew who and what he was talking about.

After a few minutes of waiting Robin heard a kind voice, "Robin?"

He turned and saw Starfire with her blazing red hair and shimmering emerald eyes. She was wearing her purple mini skirt, long shiny boots, and her purple crop top that showed off her stomach and curvy features. Robin almost forgot how beautiful she was.

For a second the young hero was speechless, then shook his head to get out, "Uh, hey, Starfire. I hope you don't mind that I came for a visit." He rubbed his neck and hoped she didn't hate him after the things he said before she left. Robin braced himself for the worst, but was surprised when he was tackled to the ground. He couldn't tell if she was hugging him or fighting him.

With her strong arms tightly around his sides she exclaimed, "Oh Robin! How wonderful it is to see you!" He felt his insides beginning to crumble and it was getting hard to breathe. He concluded it was a hug. A very very strong hug.

He choked, "Starfire!" She then stopped gripping him so tightly and set him down on the ground. He inhaled and exhaled, trying to get oxygen in his lungs.

"I apologize. Are you alright?" Tamaraneans were used to strong hugs and usually gave even stronger ones back, but she had to remind herself to be gentler around her human friends.

"Yeah. I'm fine, just a little winded." He paused, then asked, "Why aren't you mad at me?" He could tell she wasn't expecting the question when her expression changed into a confused one.

"I am not angry with you or anyone. Why do you ask?"

He ran a hand through his gelled hair and justified, "Well, last time we talked you sent me through a wooden crate, and you didn't really say goodbye or talked to me when you left." In a sadden voice he concluded, "You didn't even look at me, Star."

That is not how she wanted to hear her nickname from Robin. It sounded sad and hurt. She took his hand in her own and replied, "I apologize for making you feel this way. I can assure you that that is not the case. If anything I am overjoyed to see you here." They both broke out into kind, gentle smiles.

Robin said, "Cyborg, Raven, and Beastboy wanted to come, but I couldn't leave Jump City unprotected." With their hands still joined together Robin added, "I- we miss you."

"I have missed you, too, Robin." The Boy Wonder blushed at Starfire's response to his mess up. Before he could reply she continued, "And there is no need to miss because I will be returning home very soon. I have realized what I need to do to regain control of my powers, all thanks to my Knorfka."

"Wait, what do you have to do?" he asked.

"ZAL, KORIAND'R!" Galfore excitedly boomed, coming up from behind them.

Starfire turned and cheered, "Galfore!" She flew up to embrace him in a strong hug.

Robin stuck his hand out and greeted, "It's nice to see you, again, Galfore." The large man had a wide smile and grabbed his hand strongly to shake it, but almost crushed all of Robin's fingers.

Galfore gave a hearty laugh and almost yelled, "And it is wonderful to see any friend of Starfire's! What brings you to Tamaran, Robin?" The incredibly strong man finally let go of the young Titan.

Rubbing his hand, the hero replied, "I wanted to visit Starfire and see how she was doing." Galfore sent a suggestive look towards Starfire, making her giggle. Robin did not notice.

Starfire's knorfka demanded, "You must stay for dinner and feast with us! The chef has made glurk scales, one of my favorite dishes."

Robin remembered the last time he was here and was a little scared of the food they provided. Sure it was new, but he could've sworn some of it moved. It was probably all in his head, especially since Beastboy couldn't stop freaking out over it.

Starfire started giggling as she saw the slightly frightened face of her best friend. She grabbed his arm and dragged him inside. Robin's fear soon dissipated at her touch.

...

Starfire thought the feast was wonderful. She hadn't eaten much of her home world's food in years. She did try to make meals for her friends to enjoy, but the food never tasted the same. She saw old friends and had lovely conversations with many people. Robin had shared stories of his life of fighting crime and bragged about Starfire's capabilities and skill. Starfire thought to herself hopefully her powers would return and she could live up to those stories once again.

During the dinner, she heard Galfore say to Robin, "Starfire is like a daughter to me, and I am like a father to her. So, I must make sure that if any man is interested in her, he must be able to handle the consequences."

Robin was caught off guard and stammered, "Uh, no. It's not like- we're not- I don't-"

Ignoring his protest, Galfore lowered his voice and threatened, "If you ever hurt her in any way, the Tamaranean military and I will destroy you and everything you love."

Robin was stunned and didn't say anything until Galfore gave a hearty chuckle and slapped the young titan's back, making him cough. Starfire giggled to herself, making sure her friend didn't see, so he wouldn't feel anymore embarrassed.

Near the end of the feast, Galfore whispered to her, "Robin is a good man and a good warrior. You have chosen well, Koriand'r."

She responded, "I believe so, too."

...

They were walking through the halls of the great castle in silence. Both teenagers felt giddy, but nervous about what they were going to do when they reached her bedroom. Would they just say goodbye and their time would be over or would they kiss, getting a do-over of last time? Robin's fingers twitched. He wanted to hold her hand or be close to her in some way, but he was still contemplating whether or not to when they got to her door.

Starfire was nervous to ask, but she wanted to keep talking to him. The special emotions she felt toward Robin had grown stronger throughout the day, and she didn't want the feeling to end.

With a small smile, she shyly told Robin, "This is my bedroom. Would you like to come in?" Robin was a bit taken aback at her request, but let his mind consider kissing her and for real this time. He felt his cheeks turn red and hoped she didn't see.

"Yeah, sure." They walked inside and the door closed on its own. Robin noted it must be motion censored. He walked into the room and saw the bright colors and fancy furniture.

"I remember this." Robin said as he walked out onto the balcony.

Starfire followed him and replied, "Yes. Last time we were both here was when you tried to warn me about my sister's plan." She remembered how she had defeated her sister for the crown. Blackfire had said she was always the better fighter, not Starfire. The young alien princess thought her sister had never been more right until now. She looked out over the ledge and admired the skyline of the planet she knew so well.

Robin saw how her cheeriness had faded as she looked out into the night.

"Hey, Star," he said as he gently touched her wrist. Sparks flew across Starfire's arm, interrupting her thoughts. She turned to him and saw how his seriousness had returned.

He continued, "Are you alright? You never really told me how you were doing." He took a step closer to her, making it harder for her to answer his question. She felt his body heat mix with her own and her heart rate speed up with excitement.

"As you know, I left to restore my powers, but nothing has changed."

Robin noted, "You said they rely on your emotions. Does that mean you...?" He didn't want to finish his sentence.

"No, not exactly. Red X did break my green receptor, but when I realized I had lost my powers, I knew I was useless on the team. I can no longer capture criminals." She stepped back, pulling away from his touch.

He reached out towards her. "Star, you're not-"

"I let Red X escape...again." She stared at her boots.

He grabbed both of her hands and pulled her close to him as he kindly told her, "Star, you are not useless." Their faces we inches apart and she feared Robin could hear her heartbeat.

"But I no longer possess any powers." she reminded him, confused.

Robin needed to be closer to not only comfort her, but to just...be closer. When he was with her he didn't feel the need to be a strong, justified, leader. He could just be himself. He could just be Dick Grayson.

He intertwined their fingers and she felt her hand squeeze his own. Her soft lips were so close that all he wanted to do was kiss her to let her know that she was so much more to him than just a team member.

"I don't have any powers, either, but I still protect the city. You don't need your powers to be important."

He held her cheek and almost whispered, "They don't define you, Star." Both heroes were done being close, they wanted to be together, to touch. Robin pulled her face closer to him as she leaned in. Their hot breath were mixing as excitement and nervousness blended in their own chests. Their lips brushed together and Robin could finally-

"Hello, sister!" Robin jumped back, putting space between the two, and switching to his serious demeanor. Starfire looked to the intruder and lightly gasped.

With a confident smile, Wildfire said, "I hope I wasn't interrupting something."

N/A: Muhahaha! That's right! I made them ALMOST kiss. AGAIN. Anyway, when I post this I should be leaving for another trip, so expect the next chapter in a week or so. Anyway, REVIEWS GIVE ME LIFE!


	6. Ryand'r

A/N: Ugh I'm so mad at myself right now. I re-watched "X" (the episode with Red X) and I totally forgot there's an actual name for what the suit was powered with, so sorry for the mess up guys! *anger* Anyway, there also is almost no scenes with Wildfire in any of the comics, but he is a real DC Comics character, so I'll try my best to interpret him in the best way. Btw, welovenails, anazpoyo88, and r0bstarfan13 thank you so much for the lovely reviews and KickingAnders your wishes will soon be granted. I hope you all like this chapter! REVIEWS GIVE ME LIFE. 

Ryand'r

Starfire hesitantly took a few steps towards the intruder.

She asked, "Wildfire...is-is that you?" She held her arm out towards him, leaving Robin.

His voice breathy, he answered, "Yeah. Yeah it's me, Koriand'r." Starfire flung herself at him, trapping him in a crushing hug and burying her face in his neck. Wildfire held her just as strongly and made sure the moment lasted.

Robin took the chance to look the guy up and down. He had red hair that reached just below his chin. He was wearing the traditional Tamaranean purple and silver shirt, pants, and boots that almost matched Starfire, but in a more masculine way. As expected his skin had the same orange glow, but not as vibrant. One could even say he was handsome. More or less, Robin thought.

Robin didn't like how long the hug lasted and certainly not how intimate it was. He cleared his throat, trying to get their attention.

Starfire ended the embrace and looked over to Robin as she said, "Oh, my apologies, Robin. This is-"

"Wildfire, member of the Omega Men stationed in the Vegan System." he interrupted and stuck his hand out towards the young human hero.

Impressive, but not as impressive as, "Robin, one of the many heroes of Jump City and leader of the Teen Titans on Earth." Okay, maybe not _as_ impressive, Robin thought as he shook the other young man's hand.

Sensing a challenge, Wildfire asked, "Teen Titans? Haven't heard of them."

Out of irritation, Robin narrowed his eyes and answered, "It's a task force of superheroes including Starfire and I."

Thinking he got him to back down, Wildfire replied, "Oh, well must be a very good task force with Starfire on the team." Starfire giggled and hugged Wildfire again, ignoring Robin almost completely. Did he just flirt with her?!

The joy left her voice as she pulled away from their second hug and she sadly inquired, "Oh, where have you been all this time, Ryand'r?"

In a gentle voice he responded, "All your questions will be answered soon. But first, I demand a feast!"

Robin crossed his arms and snapped, "Why, so we can celebrate your return home? Hate to break it to you, but we already ate." He looked to Starfire and saw the rare glare she gave to so little people. Surprised, Robin backed off.

Ignoring their exchange, Wildfire corrected, "Actually I was just hungry, but if Starfire already ate dinner, then I suggest dessert. I haven't eaten anything from my home world in years and I am very eager consume glorg once again!"

Starfire cheered, "That sounds wonderful! Please, we must go!" She pulled both Robin and Wildfire towards the door. While Wildfire could easily pull against her strength, Robin was dragged behind them both. Wildfire was proving to be stronger, more likeable, and better- and Robin did not like it.

...

Robin found himself sitting alone near the end of the table. He originally sat next to Starfire, but the swarm of people that came to see Wildfire soon pushed him out of the way. Who even was this guy, anyway? Everyone crowded around him like he was some celebrity. Was he a celebrity here? Sure, the guy was part of some Omega Men team in a faraway galaxy, but Robin still had no idea who he was. Could he be Starfire's friend or...ex-boyfriend? The boy wonder groaned at the thought. He didn't like not knowing.

His mind began to wander and he imagined another guy being with Starfire. He thought of someone making her laugh, making her blush, someone holding her hand, touching her, _kissing_ her. His hands tightened into fists as he growled out loud. He wanted Starfire to be happy, but in all honesty, he wanted to be the one to be make her feel that way. He wanted to be the one to make her feel a lot of ways.

He may have been at the end of the table, but he could still hear the crowd's conversation.

Starfire begged, "Please, tell us! Why haven't you come home in so long?" She tugged on his arm, irritating Robin even more.

"Alright, alright. Well, after I left I floated into the Volkar moons and..."

His voice faded away as Robin thought about why he left. Did he break up with Starfire or did she dump him? Or was is for an entirely different reason? He kept listening.

"Soon, I met the Omega Men and they taught me to fight and defend myself and others. Their station was on Kuraq in the Vegan System, and I've been there fighting against the Citadelian aggression for years now. Since the Green Latern Corps can't go into that sector, we were the only ones to protect it." Almost everyone gave a soft "oooh" as Robin rolled his eyes.

Starfire asked again, "But why have you not come home sooner?"

"Well, I thought Tamaran had been taken over by the Gordanians, so I didn't bother coming back for a long time...until...um. We, the other Omega Men and I, were attacked by the Darkstar zombies of Lady Styx. The Omega Men, my friends...died. I was the only one who made it out alive. I took down Lady Styx, but after that I had nothing left. The only place I could go was home and to my surprise and luck, you all were still here...even if my mother and father are not." Starfire put her hand on his shoulder to soothe him. The action created an unpleasant feeling in Robin's stomach, but he put it aside. Robin knew what it was like to lose your parents. In their years alive, they taught him almost everything he knew and for that wound to be fresh...he didn't want to think about it. On top of all that, Robin imagined all of his friends dying, leaving him. He had flashbacks to when Slade tried to permanently hurt them all, just to get to Robin. For all of them to die...he wouldn't wish something like that on his worst enemy.

Wildfire's conversation brightened up to his stories of crime fighting with his friends. Robin was going to keep listening until he thought of his own life of fighting crime. He grabbed his communicator and walked into the hall.

"Titans, report."

"Hey, Robin!" Beastboy answered.

"How's the city?" the boy wonder asked.

"Oh, you know the usual. Beat some bad guys, saved some damsels in distress, and I totally kicked this robber's butt." He slid on a pair of black sunglasses. "It was really cool, you should've seen it."

Raven crept into the screen and added, "Actually, the robber kicked Beastboy's butt."

Cyborg worked himself into the small screen and teased, "Yeah, you really should've seen it." Beastboy crossed his arms and scowled.

Robin smiled and said, "Well, it's nice to know the city is safe."

Cyborg replied, "Of course it's safe, you left it in our hands. So, how's Starfire?"

"She said her status on her powers hasn't changed, but I'm sure she's happy to see her family and friends again, especially Wildfire."

"Who's Wildfire?" Raven questioned plainly.

"Not sure, but apparently he's been missing for years and showed up today. Starfire is...very...excited to see him."

Cyborg wondered, "Wait, does she not like him?"

"Trust me," he looked over and saw Wildfire making her giggle. He clenched his teeth and finished, "She likes him."

Untrusting as usual, Raven asked, "Sounds a bit strange for Wildfire to suddenly come back out of nowhere." Robin admitted it was somewhat odd and cursed himself for letting his jealousy weaken his alertness.

The young hero told them, "His story seems legitimate, but I'll keep an eye on him. Are you guys sure you don't need me there?"

Cyborg said, "Nah, man. We got this. Tell Star we said hi and, Robin..." Cyborg teased, "Don't let that Wildfire guy steal your girl." Everyone on the small screen laughed and giggled as the boy wonder ignored the comment.

"Contact me if you need anything." He ended the call, but smirked at the thought of Starfire being "his girl", although she is way too fierce to truly belong to anyone.

...

"Just like that." Wildfire stated. Starfire had her arm stretched out in front of her with her feet apart, while her other arm was hanging down at her side. Last night after dessert, she told him about her problem with her powers and he offered to help her in the morning.

"Now, focus on your emotions." She imagined fighting her worst foes and even blasting Red X into a cell. She balled her out stretched hand into a fist and felt the righteous fury collect in her chest. She threw her hand back and thrusted it forward at the target in front of her, but no star bolts were sent flying. She didn't even see, feel a spark. She sighed and turned away from the target.

"I am beginning to lose hope." she said forlornly.

He remarked, "Too bad we can't replace your green receptor."

"They are customary for each Tamaranean. They cannot just be redone or fixed with a glue gun."

"What's a glue gun?" Wildfire asked.

She giggled and explained, "It is a tool from Earth that cements two items together. It is not a very good tool though, since my friend, Beastboy, glued his fingers together once."

"Tell me about Earth. I haven't gone to that galaxy before."

"Well, it is a very blue and green planet. Most of the people there are very kind and _nice._ " She remembered the first time she arrived and how Robin, Cyborg, Beastboy, and Raven had all been _nice_ to her, something she hadn't known for a while before that. She told Wildfire of her new friends and new home and how they do good to protect others. Lost in her rambling, she began to talk about Robin.

"Robin is a strong leader and a good friend. Most people perceive him as too serious or cold, but when no one is in danger, he becomes...warm." She didn't how else to explain it. "In reality, he is kind, comical, brave, and" Wildfire could see a giddy smile play out on her face. "understanding." At the thought of her best friend's crooked smile, she felt butterflies in her stomach.

A mysterious smirk crept across Wildfire's face as he said, "Oh, really?" The unusual smile was not noticed.

"Yes, and he is someone I am more than willing to follow. Robin has always been strong, determined, focused, and can find the solution when the rest of us does not even recognize there is a problem. But..."

He put a hand on her shoulder, "What is it, Koriand'r? You can tell me anything." She was hesitant, but answered anyway.

"Because of his drive, he has betrayed me and our friends." She further explained to him about pretending to be Red X, how Slade had held Robin's friends as ransom, and made Robin shoot her. It all just came pouring out her mouth, but she didn't mind. She trusted Wildfire with her secrets, powers, and life. He was her _**long lost brother**_ after all, something Robin did not yet realize.

After a sequence of nods and "yes" of acknowledgement he ended with a quiet, "Interesting." She fell silent, but he was deep in thought. After a few silent moments, Wildfire pulled her arm to turn her towards the target.

"Use that to get your powers back." he told her.

"The target?"

He chuckled and corrected, "No, what you feel for your friends."

"I am not sure that will work."

"Just try." He gestured toward the target and stepped back to give her room. She was hesitant, but then nodded in agreement. She got into her stance, raised her arm, and focused. She thought of her friends, the silly pranks, the wonderful new mysteries of Earth, and most of all, Robin. She thought of his perfectly gelled hair, the crooked smile he always gave her, how quick and intelligent he was, and he always tried to be helpful and understanding.

She threw her arm back, then thrusted her fist and a small green orb was encircled around her hand. It soon faded, but it was there none of the less.

She gasped and trapped Wildfire in another hug as she cheered, "It worked! I felt the spark! Thank you very much, Wildfire! I must tell Robin!" With the newfound joy in heart, she flew out of the room, down the hall, and into Robin's bedroom.

"Joyous news, Robin! I hav-" Starfire stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Robin standing in front of the dresser, shirtless. She saw his subtle muscles on his arms and the much defined abs he had on his stomach. She felt a blush creep up on her cheeks.

She whipped around and quickly spilled out, "I apologize, Robin, if I had known you were changing I would have not come in at all and leave you to do get ready and then I would not have-"

"Uh, Star, it's alright." He willed his own blush to fade away as he pulled on his shirt. "You can turn around now." When she saw Robin with his shirt back on, the heat in her face fell away, but she missed the feeling.

Robin asked, "What did you want to tell me?" Starfire remembered what had just happened, and the pure joy returned to her expression.

"Wildfire has been helping me regain my powers, and I've managed to create a star blot again. I felt the spark!" The fact that Wildfire had been helping her **and** got her powers back created a small ball of anger in Robin's chest. He should've been the one to help her and not her ex-boyfriend or whoever this guy was. He had been too distracted with his jealousy to do anything for her.

He put the small anger aside and answered, "That's really great, Star! When you get them back fully, you should return home." Robin walked back and forth across the room, grabbing his things and putting them in a bag.

Starfire questioned, "Wait, where are you going?"

After putting his last birdarang in the bag he answered, "There's trouble in Jump City. Cyborg asked me to come back."

"I should go, too." Starfire suggested as she floated down to the ground. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"No. You need to stay here and get your powers back." No matter how much he hated it, he was glad that there was someone to help her with her powers.

He turned to her and added, "I'm happy that Wildfire can help you get your powers back. He probably understands you most out of all of us."

"That's not true. Robin, you are one of my closest friends. If anything, you understand me the most." In this moment, she contemplated on telling him how she felt. She knew she should have beforehand, but she was scared and she was still scared in that moment. Galfore was probably just searching for an answer to help her.

"I would like to think so. See you at home, Star." He turned and left. Starfire still had the words she desperately wanted to say stuck in her mouth.

...

Robin put the T-ship on autopilot and stared at the thousand planets, suns, and galaxies. The white dots littered the black sheet of a sky, while the galaxies became the vibrant color of the dark canvas. Wisps of light blue and neon green spiraled to a soft point.

The radiant green gas reminded Robin of Starfire's unforgettable eyes. No one else had eyes like those, not on Earth or Tamaran. He sighed and thought that maybe if Wildfire could help get her powers back, he could make her happy. Robin wanted to think that Wildfire was a good guy, but Raven's words kept echoing in his head.

" _Sounds a bit strange for Wildfire to suddenly come back out of nowhere."_

Robin thought of the other young man's story. Everything seemed reasonable up until where he was the only who survived. If that Lady Styx attacked them and killed them all, how could one man take her down? Did he use the sympathy from the tragic story to distract everyone or was it just a terrible event? Wanting to find out, the young hero set coordinates for the Vegan System. The rest of the team knew the trip would take a few hours to get back to Earth, so Robin allowed himself to go a little of course. It was surprisingly close to the Milky Way Galaxy.

Ten minutes on the new path, the space around him seemed quiet and calm. Abruptly, a soundless small red light began blinking on his main screen. Before he could check it, his body was tossed to the side of the spacecraft. He felt his limbs crush into his body against the force, while warning alarms blared inside the small cockpit. Robin tried to get ahold of the steering, but the left wing was too damaged. Dark smoke surrounded him, filling the small space. Soon, blackness clouded his vision.

A/N: Gotta love that angst tho am I right? So, I should be back from all my trips for the summer when I post this, so idk when the next chapter will come out (it's gonna be a day or like a week sooooooo). Anyway, GIVE ME DEM REVIEWS.


	7. Dark Secrets

A/N: OKAY I'M GONNA WRITE THIS AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF IF I DONT FINISH THIS CHAPTER SOON CUZ I MADE YOU GUYS WAIT HELLA LONG OKAY SO HERE WE GO Btw, this is a flashback chapter so everything that is a flashback is in italics and the present is in normal text if you get confused. Btw, r0bstarfan13 you are now my bae (hope that isn't weird) and you have supported this fic throughout most of it, so I just wanted to say thank you and I keep writing this mostly for you tbh. Anyway, on with the story...

Dark Secrets

 _PAST:_

 _Wildfire and his friends were rushing around in their spaceship getting supplies, coordinates, and fuel. Lady Styx and her Darkstar Zombies had been unleashing their wrath by attacking the planet just below them. The team would've sprung into action, but none of it would have matter if they didn't stop what she liked to call "The Final Phase". It was the last step in her plan. She was going to murder the king and queen of the planet and elect herself as their new leader. If the citizens of the world did not comply with her actions, she had a laser cannon placed on each of the planet's moons ready to blow their home world to pieces. The team doubted she would blow herself up, but her lust for power was too strong. If she were to die, she would want to die with an entire planet eating out of the palm of her hand. The lasers were considered impenetrable, but to The Omega Men, nothing was impenetrable._

 _After clicking a few buttons on the spacecraft's main frame, Wildfire announced, "I set the coordinates for each pod to go on a separate moon. If we can take out the lasers, then she'll have no leverage against the citizens."_

 _Cecilia commented, "It sounds like a good idea, but she will kill the king and queen. We need someone to protect them."_

 _From behind, Chantale interjected, "Lady Styx is smart and resourceful. Once she realizes she has no more power, she will see that killing them would be pointless."_

 _"Alright, we'll go with Wildfire's plan. Everyone find a pod and be careful. Take out the laser and get out of there as soon as you can." Tigorr agreed. Wildfire gave himself a mental pat on the back. He was new to the team and had been trying to prove himself worthy of being a hero who could do some good. He wanted to be braver and stronger than he ever was before. He still thought the Gordanians had taken over his home world and killed everyone he loved and knew. He didn't want to run away anymore. He didn't want to be a coward, not again. He wanted to be a hero and for Tigorr, the leader of the team, to use his plan to take down one of their greatest enemies was amazing. Maybe he really was cut out for the saving business._

 _After watching his friends jump into their pods, he climbed into his own and shot through the abyss of space. Soon enough, he landed on the fifth moon, Mal. The laser had thankfully not been too far away from where he landed and could manage the small hike. One he got to the laser, he unscrewed a metal panel to access the inner working of the fatal machine._

 _Wildfire's com buzzed and listened to Tigorr say, "Alright, team. There's a purple wire on the left side behind the front metal panel. Before you cut it, though, you must put in the code, 2793. That should allow you to bypass the alarm based security system. If we do this right, we will not only save the king and queen, but all 16 billion citizens on that planet below. Tigorr out." Wildfire typed in the code and took out his blade, but before he could cut it a hand grasped his shoulder and roughly flung him backwards, forcing him to land harshly on his back._

 _Not wasting any time, he quickly got up, but winced at the pain in his back. Lady Styx was standing in front of him and was no doubt the person who manhandled him seconds before. She was tall and her alien form was nothing like the Tamaranean's. She had six long limbs, including her neck, and had overgrown black nails that complimented her black stained hands. The rest of her blue skin seemed forcefully stretched across her ribs and bones. Her oval-shaped face had red, ruby lips that turned into a creepy smile as her scorpion tail whipped in excitement behind her._

 _"What do you think you are doing, young man?" she sneered._

 _He confidently stated, "Stopping you." He flew up into the air and began throwing furious star bolts at her. Clouds of smoke and dust encircled around her, and she shielded her face. He flung himself down at her, ready to throw his strong punches, until she caught him by throat. He struggled to get free, but even with his alien strength, her tail was too powerful._

 _She chuckled and mocked, "The funny thing is you don't even know what you're actually trying to stop me from doing. You're absolutely clueless, you and you're friends."_

 _He struggled to breathe, but managed to ask, "What are you talking about?"_

 _"You all believe that I'm trying to take the power from the poor planet below us, which does sound amusing, but that's not the real reason I have you here." She paused and chuckled again. "You Omega Men have been irritating me nonstop since I started my affairs and it's now time that you all have stopped yours. When you're team mates try to cut the wire, it will set off an explosion to kill each of your friends."_

 _She pulled him closer to her and hissed, "And now it's time for me to kill you." She flung him across the dirt a second time, but Wildfire caught him and stopped in midair to hover above the ground. He lunged at her, but this time he ducked low to grab her long insect-like legs and carry her into the air only to slam her back down to the moon's surface. He stopped to see if that was enough to knock her out, but he soon felt her sharp nails curl around his ankle to slam him into the metal laser. The sturdy wall dented behind his back due to the amount force. When he fell to the ground he coughed, struggling to get air back into his lungs. She was running towards him, but even though he was still recovering he shot his fiery red star bolts at her, sending her away._

 _He wearily stood up and thought he could win this fight. He could stop her plans and save his friends. He could be the hero. At least, that's what he kept telling himself._

 _Out of nowhere, Lady Styx' long, thick, tail struck him, harshly sending him back into the already crushed metal. The wind was knocked out of him again and felt as if he was going to die if he didn't get air in him soon. His wishes were quickly crushed as he wrapped her hand around his throat. Her grasp was tight, but not tight enough to cut off his air completely. She knew what she was doing. She wanted to kill him slowly. With nothing filling his lungs, his limbs soon became useless. His could barely lift them to stop her from choking him._

 _She scoffed and added, "Look at you. So weak you can't even fight back. I expected more, but then again you are just a troq." With even more disgust she finished, "A Tamaranean. You don't even deserve to live, you and your kind. Maybe after I kill your friends, I'll kill your race."_

 _He spit in her face, and with the last of his energy he said, "They're already dead. I'm the last of them."_

 _"Then that makes things much easier for me." With her hand still clutching his throat she walked along the laser, but threw him against the wall again and again. Each time his back met the metal, the wind was knocked out of him. He couldn't take much more of this. He knew his friends were probably dead by now. He had failed as a hero, as an Omega Man, as a friend. The only thing he could do left was take down Lady Styx, but even that seemed hopeless. But he had to at least try for his friends._

 _Every time he felt the cold wall hit his back, he was getting closer to the metal panel he took off only moments before. He was going to blow them both to pieces and he hope he had the strength to tear the wire. As his lungs were begging for mercy and black spots clouded his vision, he lifted his arm. She slammed him into the weapon's side once more, and he grabbed the purple wire as tightly as his oxygen deprived muscles would allow him. She pulled him back along with the wire._

 _The first thing he felt was the blissful oxygen filling his lungs when she let go of him. He didn't feel the invisible force from the explosion against his back or the blistering heat nipping at his cheeks. Time seemed to slow down and thanked his god for the air flowing through his throat. No matter how much he enjoyed the sensation he was ready to die. He knew his friends had left this world and he wanted to see them again. He soon felt the fire burning off the skin on his lower back and began to scream. The world became a blur and he felt the rough dirt scruff against his shoulder, knee, and then his cheek. His hearing was long gone and his body was hopelessly tumbling across the moon's surface. He then felt something hard and sharp strike his head. All the lights went out._

 _..._

 _His body felt like a brick. His arms, legs, feet, fingers, and eyelids were all too heavy to lift. Wildfire felt blind. Not because he couldn't open his eyes, but he felt blind to as what was happening to him, to his body. He didn't know what position his limbs had fallen into. He couldn't feel the ground beneath his hands. His brain wasn't able to process anything other than the fact that his body was present. He couldn't even tell if he was breathing, but he knew he was no longer being choked._

 _He was being choked. He was being blown to pieces. He had stopped Lady Styx. He had killed her. He had killed himself. With that thought, he forced his eyes open and saw the countless galaxies and stars above him, staring at him like he was a mistake. Air forced itself down his throat, making his chest expand and bringing the rest of his body back to life. He was alive. He was breathing. He was moving._

 _Wildfire soon remembered his friends were dead. He knew that it was surprising how fast he accepted it, but thought maybe it was because if they were alive, they would be disappointed in him for creating such a terrible plan. They would think he was an excuse of hero, of a person. Now that they're dead, they won't do that to him. Wildfire wouldn't have to face the disgusting truth so quickly. Sick thought. But he's half dead at the moment, so he lets himself have terrible thoughts._

 _Laying there on the ground, he realized he was utterly alone. No friends, no family, no planet, and no home. He was beaten and bloodied on the ground like road kill. Wildfire still wished he had died. He wished on that moon that he was dead._

 _He slowly got up and looked around him. Debris from the laser cannon was littered across the floor and small fires were spread across the site. He looked around for Lady Styx, but she was nowhere in sight. He searched for her, but came out empty handed. He didn't kill her. He had failed all over again._

 _Wildfire flew to the other moons to look for her, but every time, he found a body of one of his friends. He would hold them in his arms and silently cry. He wanted to take all his sick thoughts back, every one of them. He would rather them be angry at him for hurting them instead of being forced with dealing with the guilt of killing the people who he cared about most. Sure, he was new to the team, but they had taken him in and treated him like family. As if he had always been part of their lives. Now, he just wanted to see them. Wildfire whispered apologies into each of their ears and hoped they could hear him from wherever their souls had floated off to._

 _..._

 _Wildfire was sitting on the metal floor inside the spaceship. Everything, including the air, felt cold, quiet, and empty. He had already landed the ship at some random planet to save fuel. As the ship was descending he could see a small market was near him. Other space crafts were selling whatever junk they had to lighten the load. Once his own craft was safely on the ground, he didn't know what to do. He decided to just sit there for a bit. Wildfire had no idea how much time had passed since then._

 _There was a knock on the door and a voice that called, "Hello? Are you still open?" Wildfire knew he shouldn't have parked next to market. He decided to tell the person to leave and maybe make a sign or something. He walked over to the entrance and pulled the door open. The words stopped in his throat when he saw who was standing in front of him._

 _"Blackfire?" he croaked._

 _"Brother?" she asked breathily. They lunged at each other, creating a strong, passionate hug. They were trying to make up for lost time._

 _"I thought you were dead!" he exclaimed._

 _With confidence seeping out from her voice she replied, "Actually our army wiped out the Gordanians quite easily. We took back the throne soon after you left to continue the bloodline, but we had no way to contact you."_

 _"I thought they had taken over our planet and killed our people. But now that you're back it must mean Starfire, mother, and father are still alive! I'm not alone anymore...more or less."_

 _Blackfire took down her cocky personality and gently told him, "I'm sorry Wildfire, but they have passed."_

 _"Even Starfire?" he asked with tears starting to form in his eyes._

 _"No, she is still alive."_

 _"Then mother and father are..." he didn't want to finish his sentence and he really didn't want to see Blackfire's answer. He forced himself to look at her and saw her nodding her head slightly._

 _He had accepted his family had been dead, but for it to be confirmed was like grieving them all over again. He let the tears fall, but remained silent. He felt so alone, even with his dear sister right next to him. The people he loved were dropping dead left and right and there was nothing he could do about it. She put an arm on his shoulder, which pulled him out of his thoughts._

 _"There's something you're not telling me. What is it?" she almost demands._

 _"I made many dear friends when I left, but not too long ago they all...um they just...I…" More tears flowed down his face. He couldn't say it out loud. He didn't want to face the truth. Blackfire turned him so he would face her._

 _"Wildfire, tell me what happened." she commanded him sternly. After another moment of hesitation, he explained to her the bombs, Lady Styx, and how he was the only one who made it out alive. He choked back more tears as he told the story._

 _He ended with, "There's nothing left I can do, Blackfire."_

 _"But there is." Wildfire saw the familiar fire in her eyes and she continued, "Take down Lady Styx and get vengeance for what she did to you. What she did to your friends."_

 _He protested, "Revenge is never a good idea. You know that."_

 _"So you just want to let her off the hook? If she did that to me, I would make sure she paid for it." Wildfire considered what his sister said. Revenge always led you down a dark path, but he couldn't do that to his friends. He didn't want to fail them. He was done failing. He wanted to serve them right._

 _He looked her in the eyes and stated, "Let's do it"_

 _..._

 _They began searching for Lady Styx at the planet's moon where Wildfire blew both of them up. They checked databases, searched the news for anything weird, scouted the area, and did anything to find her._

 _After weeks of coming up empty, Wildfire became more and more obsessive with finding her. He swore to himself and Blackfire that he will do anything to take his revenge. He kept telling himself it was to honor his friends and not to fill the hole he felt in his chest._

 _Finally, Blackfire got a lead. She was last seen on the sister planet of the one she was trying to take over. Blackfire pointed out that Lady Styx thought Wildfire was dead, so he had the upper hand. They created a plan to jump her when she was alone to get his vengeance. Soon, they landed on the planet and found her location. They broke into the building and followed her until she told her guards to leave her in her room._

 _Wildfire was about to move when Blackfire grabbed his arm and asked, "You know what to do?"_

 _He answered, "Yeah. I'm making her pay." A proud smile crept across his sister's face. She released his arm and let him go off on her. He saw the new found fire in his eyes. His obsessive behavior only let his anger grow and grow. Blackfire knew her sister's dear friend was very much the same, but he had friends to hold him back from becoming ruthless. But this time though, she wasn't going to hold Wildfire back. She wanted to see him be cruel, savage, and have no barriers left. She wanted him to be her weapon. She had found him months ago, but waited until the perfect moment to sneak back into his life. What better time than when all his friends were dying? She knew she was a manipulator and used that trait to her advantage. She even kept tabs on his new enemy and waited to tell him her whereabouts until he was on the edge of going insane._

 _As he was beating Lady Styx to a pulp without hesitation, she knew he was all too perfect to get back at their_ _ **goody two shoes, flawless, little, sister.**_

 _Wildfire stopped shooting his red star bolts at her when she didn't get up from the ground. Then, he started punching her with his bare hands over and over again. He didn't stop when her fluids spattered onto his hands and face. To his horror, he realized he liked the feeling. He liked getting justice this way, getting revenge. It was filling that hole inside of him._

 _She was the one who took his friends from him._

 _*punch*_

 _She was the one who made him feel so alone._

 _*punch*_

 _She was the one who made him fail._

 _*punch*_

 _She was the one who was going to pay._

 _His arms soon grew tired and he stilled his fists. He looked up at Blackfire, not knowing her reaction to what he had just done. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him up to his feet._

 _"Good job, Wildfire. This is only the beginning." she promised him._

 _Throughout the next couple months, she took him with her to fight evil and bring criminals to "justice". Each time Wildfire took revenge from a criminal, he felt whole again. The hole and loss inside him was filled, but only for a moment. The feeling soon became addictive, which was what Blackfire was counting on. She was going to twist him into doing whatever she wanted to whoever she wanted._

PRESENT:

Wildfire took out his com and said, "I struck down his ship and tied him up here."

Blackfire replied, "Don't kill him yet. Wait for Starfire to arrive to see her precious, Robin."

"Agreed." he answered with a devilish smirk.

A/N: I know I should've done more research on the team members of the Omega Men, but it was unclear who was still on the team when Wildfire arrived because he wasn't originally part of them in the mini-series, so I hope it worked out. And damn it got hella dark. But I really wanted to build Wildfire's character soooo have some angst :D Anyway, reviews are life and I love you guys!


	8. Clipped Wings

Clipped Wings

A/N: Hey guys! So sorry about the wait! School has been a bitch. (It's been like a month since I posted agh) Anyway, someone said that they didn't understand the whole Tantalum thing. Okay so I used that as a name for what powers red X's suit because I totally forgot that there was an actual name for it. My bad :/ also Tantalum is just an element in the periodic table in case you were wondering where I got it from. Also, r0bstarfan13, bae, thank you for the always wonderful reviews and I hope you like this chapter cuz it's my favorite one so far. It's about to get hella dark sooo brace yourself. Anyway, REVIEWS GIVE ME LIFE!

Robin felt a small breeze ghost over his cheek and icy, hard, metal around his wrists. He had already assumed they were handcuffs…or alien handcuffs at least, but it didn't really matter. Wait. Robin felt the restraints against his skin. His gloves were gone. And as he became more fully conscious of his senses, he realized that his shoes, belt, and gloves were missing. He could even feel the cold, cement floor under his toes. The Boy Wonder was grateful that he still had his mask on.

Robin winced as he straightened his stiff spine and lifted his chin. He must've been bound like this for a few hours since all his joints were sore. The light hit his eyes harshly, but once his vision was back to normal he found himself in some sort of warehouse. He was just in a big room, trapped in a chair with his hands tied to each leg and his ankles handcuffed separately. Without the lock pick in his gloves or his utility belt there was no quick way for him to escape. That must've been why pieces of his uniform were missing.

"I see you've woken up." a charismatic voice said behind him. Robin whirled his head around only to see Starfire's "ex-boyfriend".

The young hero sneered, "Wildfire. I knew something wasn't right about you."

"Are you sure that little something wasn't jealousy?"

"She's not my girlfriend and last time I checked neither is she to you."

Wildfire revolted and said disgusted, "Starfire as my girlfriend? You do know we are siblings?"

"Wait. Starfire is your sister?" Robin felt a small gleam of happiness, but it was soon replaced by sadness. Star had been so happy to see Wildfire again, no matter how angry it made him, and for her brother to turn out as this criminal; it would crush her.

"Yes, actually. Didn't you hear me? Starfire must've been misinformed when she told me you were smart. I wonder if she was wrong about everything else she told me." A mischievous grin crossed his lips when he circled Robin as if he were his prey.

Robin ignored the comment and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Why not? I do like to see my little sister suffer." he disturbingly responded calmly.

"That doesn't make any sense. What did she ever do to you?" Silence followed his question, but with each passing unanswered second Robin was growing impatient. He couldn't let Starfire get hurt. Not with the way her powers were at the moment and not by her brother. She didn't deserve that.

"Tell me!" the Boy Wonder shouted out of frustration.

"I do take back what I said earlier. She was right."

"About what?" Robin scowled.

"You're stubborn, impatient, angry, and rash when you don't get answers. Whether they're for the greater good…" with a wicked smile he added, "or yourself." The young hero struggled against his restraints. All he wanted to do was beat the crap out of this guy. Star didn't say those things about him. She wouldn't…

"Why are you doing this!" he yelled, still fighting against the handcuffs. Wildfire stopped walking and faced Robin. A serious expression replaced his mocking smile.

"If you want to know so badly, it's because I hate her. She has always been the innocent, perfect, little child. My mother and father had always praised her and didn't think much of me or Blackfire. While Starfire was being loved by everyone, my other sister and I stayed tucked away in her shadow even if she was the youngest one of us all.

"I failed when I lost my friends. I failed when I had not carried on my bloodline. I have failed everyone I care about, and it's all because of her. If she was not so perfect, then I wouldn't feel this way. Blackfire understands my pain, since she is suffering from it, too."

Robin spoke, "Wait, Blackfire has made contact with you? You know she's telling you lies. She's trying to turn you against your own sister."

"And isn't that what you're doing, hero?"

Robin continued, "From what I understand Blackfire is a criminal of Earth and in the galaxy, but you still trust her. She has tried to kill Starfire before."

"And with good reason, but Blackfire isn't here right now, so I'll have to do it myself. I'm done feeling like a failure. Soon, my sister will feel what she has put me through all these years. She is going to pay for what she has done to Blackfire and me."

Robin started shouting, "If you hurt her I-"

"Oh don't worry. I won't hurt her, or at least not directly."

Through his gritted teeth Robin asked, "What does that mean?"

Wildfire walked towards him, yanked his head back by his gelled hair and almost whispered, "When Starfire comes through that door and sees her dear brother killing her beloved boyfriend she'll be devastated, lost. She'll be broken. And you and I both know that with the state of her powers, she won't be able to do anything but watch. She will fail at the task of saving your worthless, human, life."

For once, Robin didn't see a way out of this. He was tied to a chair and practically waiting for this guy to beat him to a pulp. The only thing left for him to do was keep him talking, even if it meant stalling his fate for just a few more minutes.

With Starfire's brother still in his face, he narrowed his eyes and said, "You're plan won't work, Wildfire. She's a lot stronger than she looks. And besides, I'm not her boyfriend. We're...we're not like that." His voice slightly wavered from angry to sad, but he quickly fixed it.

The alien chuckled and replied, "And she's right, again. Fighting crime and following criminals does make you blind. You know you really shouldn't ignore your friends like that, Robin." The way he was talking to him made his skin crawl. It's almost like he was talking like-

"Slade" Wildfire said. "Starfire told me that when you were so…what's the word… _obsessed_ with finding him you ignored her, distanced yourself from her and worst of all you lied to her. Her dearest friend lied to her. Don't you see, Robin? She's in love with you." He sighed and shook his head slightly before he added, "And yet you still betrayed her."

"SHUT UP!" he growled as he jerked forward. The memory of the hurt in Starfire's face stung, and for it to be confirmed that she loved him then, made the sting burn even more. Ever since that day he wished for nothing more than to take it all back. It was a mistake. Robin hated to admit it, but Wildfire was right. He had always been too dedicated, too focused and became obsessed. He always told himself capturing criminals came first. He soon realized though, that it was saving people that came first, and that meant looking after his friends, too.

He couldn't get out of those cuffs no matter how hard he tried. The metal was just digging into his skin, almost drawing blood. He had to do something to protect Starfire and himself. He had to stop him. "STAY AWAY FROM HER, YOU-"

Wildfire's harsh knuckles connected with Robin's jaw all too hard. He felt the white pain against his bones and the brutal shaking in his head. The punches kept coming and it didn't seem like they were going to stop anytime soon. Robin knew he could take a beating, hell he was trained to do so, but this time he didn't have any of his gadgets to get him out of this chair unless-

He felt a burst of force and heat against his chest. His skin was most likely on fire, but it hurt too much to look down. Another star bolt hit his head and a hammer began relentlessly pounding against his skull. The next star bolt attacked his torso; knocking the wind out of him and making him almost throw up at the same time. He tugged against his handcuffs, desperate to escape. He hadn't felt this hopeless in a long time, but there was still something he could try.

As Wildfire was ready to strike again, Robin slammed his chair backwards in the ground, crushing it under him. He jumped and tucked his legs in to swing his bound hands under him, so they would no longer be behind his back. He was still handcuffed, but he wasn't a sitting duck anymore... When he stood up to get into his fighting stance, pain ignited in his chest and his side. The headache was also not helping. Robin gripped his side, willing the pain away and almost fell, but steadied himself.

"You're not getting away with this, Wildfire." Robin weakly growled.

Wildfire replied smugly, "With the state you're in, I'm pretty sure I will."

The fight wasn't in the hero's favor. Robin's punches against Tamaranean strength were almost useless. Wildfire caught Robin's fist in mid-punch and lowered the hero to his knees. His cape was singed, his uniform was torn, and even his mask was cut up. Robin gave everything he had, but with one last blow the hero was knocked back down to the ground. He felt his brain cloud and his vision blur.

The last thing the Boy Wonder saw was that Wildfire looked down at him and said, "Starfire is going to love this."

…..

Starfire walked the halls of the castle. She was missing home, her real home, on Earth. She wanted to see her friends and fight alongside them, but she especially wanted to be with Robin; whether that meant staying friends or hopefully being something more. She missed him, and it had only been a day since he left.

She thought of his special crooked smile, his perfectly gelled hair, and his strong arms. The strong arms she wished were around her now. On Tamaran she did feel at home, but it was just Galfore and now Wildfire. Her parents had passed due to the war and her sister despised her, but on Earth she had a new family, and she could do so much good. There was still no progress on her powers other than the small burst of energy Wildfire helped her create. She was still useless to her friends and to Earth. She couldn't go back yet, not until she figured how to regain control of her powers.

Pulling her out of her thoughts a guard approached her and said, "Princess,"

"Yes?"

"Wildfire has requested to see you in the storage room." He left before she could ask why. He probably didn't know anyway. Starfire wondered if this was another session to work on her powers and decided to head to the storage room.

As she opened the door, the room was silent and dark until she heard a repeated pounding sound. She rounded the corner and saw the tip of Wildfire's short, red, hair.

"Hello, brother! What di-"

Wildfire was gripping Robin by his hair and held a burning red star bolt to his throat. The hero had scratches, bruises, and burns all over his body. He had a swollen eye and his clothes were almost in shreds. Even the R on his uniform was falling off. Starfire hadn't seen Robin like this since he was seeing the illusions of Slade.

"Robin? I don't understand. What has happened?"

In a strangled voice Robin said, "Star, please you have to go. He's- ahh!" Wildfire harshly pulled back on his hair, forcing him to shut up.

"Sorry, dear sister, Robin can't talk at the moment. He's a little preoccupied." The hero winced and groaned as Wildfire's star bolt grew bigger, making him sweat. Wildfire faced her and added, "You know sister you've always been so good. Being kind, caring, perfect, and most of all you love saving others. I want to see you try to save him."

Starfire was still confused as she asked, "Wildfire, why are you doing this?"

"Because you've always been the good, little, sister. So pure and innocent, while I'm the failure. I would get told off every time I did something wrong, but you? You got no blame. I'll admit it, I'm jealous of you, Star. I really am, but now you need to feel what it's like to fail. So with your broken powers, try to save your hero."

The princess was in shock. Everything was going so well. She had almost summoned her powers on command, Robin was here, she was on Tamaran, and her long lost brother returned home. It was all too perfect. She should've known better. Starfire was just so overjoyed when Wildfire came home safe and whole, but… it seemed that he hated her. He had always hated her. That dug a deep hole into her heart, giving what Wildfire wanted.

Her eyes moved from Wildfire's disturbing smile to the beaten and bloodied face of Robin. How did she not know he had been captured and by her own brother? Starfire blamed herself for not seeing what was right in front of her. She was so focused on her powers she didn't see how her brother returning was too good to be true. And now her best friend, the Earth boy who had stolen her heart, was going to die. She couldn't save him. She was useless.

"I SAID SAVE HIM!" Wildfire yelled. He wanted to see her try and fail, but she was frozen in place. Her heart was broken. She was losing her friend and already lost her brother to some dark force. It was too late for him, but maybe not for Robin. The hero's scream from the star bolt being pressed into his side kicked life back into her legs.

Panicked, but sorrowful, she said, "If you truly wish to fight, brother. Then, I am ready for combat."

Wildfire purred, "Wonderful." Robin landed with a soft thud when the alien dropped the broken hero onto the ground.

"You lied." Robin struggled to breathe as he fought to get up. "You said you wouldn't hurt her." Wildfire shoved his foot down on the Boy Wonder's back, forcing him to stay down.

"Don't move and I won't hurt her too bad."

"Your fight is with me, Wildfire." Starfire commanded.

Robin tried for a second time to get up. He reached out to his friend with cuffed hands and pleaded, "Star, please. Don't do this." The hero wanted to believe he and Starfire could beat him, but he didn't see a way out of this. Not this time. "He's going to kill yo-" Wildfire's boot connected with his head, knocking him out cold.

…..

Starfire dodged star bolts left and right. She truly did not want to fight her brother. What happened to the always warm smile he wore? What could have possibly turned him into this angry beast?

Wildfire was getting closer to her, ready to throw fists, but she wouldn't allow herself to harm him. As a red star bolt flew towards her head, she jumped up above Wildfire, but he grabbed her ankle and slammed her to the ground.

Wildfire got up and mocked, "You're going to have to try a lot harder than that, little sister." Her brother threw a flaming bolt at her, sending her back into the wall. She quickly got up, but another bolt threw her to the ground. Next thing she knew, she was getting pummeled by nonstop red bursts of power. She couldn't get up, she couldn't dodge, and she couldn't stop it. The force of the fire was controlling her body at this point, sending her left and right across the room. In the red blur she realized this was the end of the fight. It was always easy to fight Blackfire since she hated Starfire from the beginning, but not her little brother. He looked up to her, adored her, and she loved him just as much. Each star bolt reminded her of the hatred that oozed out of him. That fact hurt her more than the red flames.

One last bolt sent her sliding on the floor, stopping right across from Robin. Wildfire walked over to him and strung him up in the air with his hand, as if it were a noose.

Robin woke up to heat almost simmering the skin on the side of his chest. They were back to where they started, but Starfire was on the ground, hurting. Thankfully, she didn't look as bad as him, but none of the less.

Wildfire commanded, "Say goodbye to your little bird, sister." The ball of red light grew even bigger.

Suddenly, a deafening boom silenced them all. Smoke clouded the room and fire encircled the gaping hole in the wall.

"BOOYAH!"

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven flew in, ready to fight for their friends.

Beast Boy exclaimed, "Hey, guys! Wait, um...who's the guy holding Robin?" 

Behind them, Raven answered, "Wildfire."

"And it looks like he doesn't play nice with others." Cyborg noted. "Titans, go!"

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven threw a crate and knocked Wildfire down. Robin landed back on the ground, gasping for breath, while the titans fought the alien boy.

"Robin!" Starfire scrambled to her friend. She picked the young hero off of the ground and held him in her tired arms. "Robin, please. Are you undamaged?" When he didn't respond, Starfire became desperate. She shook his shoulder and begged for him to wake up, to be okay. Robin was her dearest friend and one of the few people who truly understood her. She couldn't lose him.

"S-Star?" Robin looked up to see the frightened look on her face. He hated seeing her this way, especially when he was the one who put it there.

In a breathy voice, the hero reassured her, "It's alright. I'm fine. Everything's going to be okay." All he wanted was to see her smile again, but for the moment her emerald eyes would have to do. Sadly, he could feel himself losing consciousness once more, but he wasn't all that sure he would wake up this time. His body hurt all over and the pounding in his brain was begging for him to fall asleep, but he fought it for her. She had to know.

"Starfire. I need to tell you something."

She heard a similar phrase from her parents when the Gordanians attacked. This wasn't the end and if it was, she didn't accept it. "No, please rest, Robin. Our friends are here and we will receive more aid. Wildfire is being defeated as we speak and-"

Robin interrupted, "There's something you need to know."

She held his cheek with her hand and said in a gentle, mournful, voice, "I do not understand why you cannot tell me when you are feeling better." Robin leaned into the warm, kind, touch, and held her hand. He knew it was selfish, but he was glad he wasn't alone in this, whatever his fate might be.

"Because I don't know if I'll get the chance to, Star." He flashed her his crooked smile, trying to reassure her. A few tears slipped out of Starfire's emerald eyes and onto her vibrant orange skin. Robin wanted to wipe them away, but his arms were too weak. Black began to surround his vision.

He had been denying his feelings for her for far too long. He was always too worried about focusing on the mission, about catching the criminals. But now as he lay on the floor in Starfire's arms with sleep pulling him under, he realized that none of that mattered anymore, no matter what Batman told him.

Hesitantly, he admitted, "You need to know that...that I...I lo-" His hand fell away and his eyes closed. Black consumed him.

"Robin? Robin, please. Robin!" she shouted.

Cyborg looked over his shoulder to see Starfire shaking Robin in an attempt to wake him once again. He told Beast Boy and Raven to go take care of Wildfire, while he checked on their friends.

The overwhelming fear paralyzed her voice, making it monotone when she said, "Cyborg. I am glad to see you, but I am not sure if Robin…" She looked down at the limp hero in her arms. His head was lying on its side, his eyes were closed, and his limbs were lifeless. His chest didn't even rise or fall.

"He's gonna be fine, Star. I know he is. We just have to get him to a hospital or something. Is there one near?" Cyborg could tell she was shaken up bad. Not only was she hurt, but the whole team knew how much the two heroes were in love with each other. In all honesty, if Robin didn't make it, it was going to crush her more than anyone else.

Panic took over her mind. He wasn't talking or moving or even breathing. He was just lying there...dead in her arms. Starfire knew what he was going to say, but she didn't want it to be true if he wasn't alive to say it himself.

"Starfire? Star!" Cyborg snapped her out of it. "We need to get him to a hospital."

"Oh, oh. Yes. Um there is one close by. One of the guards can take him." Cyborg picked the hero up in his arms. Starfire asked, "Cyborg?"

"Yeah?"

"Is he going to be alright?"

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't look good. I'm sorry, Star."

A/N: Again, sorry for the month wait and how dark this got. Geez me calm down. Anyway, I hope everyone was in character in this chapter, but I was literally watching Teen Titans while I wrote this, so imma be disappointed in myself if most of them are not in character. By the way, I hoped you liked the chapter! REVIEWS GIVE ME LIFE


	9. Endings

Endings

A/N: Hey guys so this is the last chapter, but yeah I think this will be a good one (and I'm pretty sure I'll be posting this in less than a FUCKING WHOLE MONTH-BREAK, agh sorry about that). But yeah this one isn't so much angst and all cute shit. So REVIEWS GIVE ME LIFE (and yes that's mean u too whoever is leaving a review literally 5 times a day that tells me to update. _I see you_ ).

Surprisingly enough, the faint, high-pitched beeps calmed Starfire. It meant Robin's heart was beating. It meant he was alive.

His injuries weren't as bad as they seemed and the young hero was out of the Tamaranean hospital in just a few days. The doctors suggested he should still take it easy, since they didn't know his physiology completely and their medicine could possibly fail. Robin at first refused to rest when they asked him in his hospital bed, but within a few seconds of objectifying, his friends pounced on him and demanded that he took it slow. What really did it for him though, was the scared look on Starfire's face. The young hero gave in. Anything to make her smile again.

When they returned to Jump City,Robin was glad he agreed to rest. The burns all over his body began to sting against his uniform and his headaches kept coming back. Robin was currently laying down in a bed in the medical wing of the tower with the rest of the team.

"It's good to have you back, Robin." Cyborg said as he put his hand on the hero's shoulder.

"It's good to be back. If you didn't come when you did I'm not sure what would have happened."

Beast Boy chuckled and proudly stated, "Yeah, we totally saved your butts." Raven smacked the back of his head. "Owe! Uh-I mean…glad we got there in time."

Robin asked, "How did you find us by the way?"

Starfire was sitting at the edge of his bed and added, "Yes, I was curious of that, too."

Raven stepped up and explained, "I used my powers to sense where you were in the castle. I was afraid I might've not be able to detect you, but what I felt from Wildfire was too strong for any telepath to ignore."

"Raven, please tell me." Starfire pleaded, "Why does my brother dread my presence so strongly?"

"I don't believe he truly hates you, Starfire, but I sensed that something has warped his mind."

Cyborg added, "We interrogated him while Robin was getting better. He said that after he lost all his friends to someone named, Lady Styx, Blackfire found him and took him under her wing."

"And by wing he means her" Beast Boy animatedly wriggled his fingers and had a ridiculous crazy look in his eye and continued, "creepy dark side and brainwashed him into her own mind-controlled zombie."

Raven smacked the back of his head for the second time that hour.

Starfire's gaze fell onto the bed sheets. She knew Beast Boy was just trying to be funny, but she didn't feel like laughing at the moment.

Robin switched his focus from Starfire to the rest of his friends.

"Can you give us a minute?"

Cyborg replied, "Yeah, sure, man."

After the door slid shut Robin asked her gently, "Hey Star, are you alright?"

"I am not sure if I can ever feel 'all right' again. I have learned that my brother has hated me for years when I have dearly missed and loved him. My sister has always hated me and wanted her own revenge….she has gotten what she wanted. My entire family and the people I have loved despise me." During all of this her eyes were stuck to the sheets and she held her elbow, closing herself off from anyone.

"I don't despise you, Star."

She looked up at him, "Please explain."

"Uh-" Robin felt himself blush and scratched the back of his neck. "I think you're really cool and I like the way you shoot your star bolts and um…" Ugh why couldn't have Batman at least taught him how to talk to girls during all those endless hours in the cave?!

Actually, Robin knew the answer to that. It was the same reason why it has taken him so long to face his own feelings. The Boy Wonder sighed aloud.

Starfire blushed slightly, but she was still holding her elbow. "I truly do appreciate your kindness, but what has been troubling me the most is that I was not able to save you, Robin. I still cannot control my powers through my emotions any longer...I am still... _useless._ " Her eyes landed back on the sheets.

"Star, you're not useless." He paused. "When I was in Gotham City, my mentor taught me that the missions always came first. Putting criminals behind bars was the only thing that mattered to him...and to me. I can't stop being a hero, Star, not when there are people out there ready to hurt those who don't deserve it. I had to be a hero who was dedicated, strong, unbreakable, and cold...until I met the team and **you**." He looked her straight in the eyes. "You guys showed me that I don't need to be so serious or cold, but I've been that type of hero for so long, it's hard to switch it off."

She gently asked, "Robin, why are you telling me this?"

"You need to know it's okay to struggle with your emotions because I do too, Star." The alien girl felt her heart flutter at how caring and understanding Robin could be. "I don't have powers either, but I'm not useless on the team. We'll find a way to get your powers back. I promise." Starfire's smile returned, which sent a warm feeling all through the young hero's body.

She put a hand on his leg and asked him, "You do understand that it is not necessary for you to be a hero all the time, correct?"

"What?"

She scooted farther up the bed and set her hand closely to Robin's fingertips. She wanted to feel the weight of his hand in her own. She wanted him to feel comforted and understood; the same way he made her feel.

She told him, "You do not need to always be a hero because you are allowed to have a life, Robin. You have friends to help you and people who care about you." She inched her hand closer to his.

Robin's gaze switched from their almost touching hands to her emerald eyes.

"There is a time for you to be a hero and there is time for you to be my friend. And there is a time for you to be...something more. But only if you wish to be."

Robin began catching on and replied, "Of course I do, Star. I have for a- uh- long time."

"You know, Star I've been wanting to tell you that- uh- um that I-"

"Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking."

She held Robin's hand in her own and smoothly pulled him towards her. Robin used his other hand to cradle her cheek and he slowly closed his eyes. He could feel her warmth engulf him and finally tasted her soft lips that were longingly moving against his own. Starfire could feel the ever growing tight grip he had on her cheek. She could tell he wanted more and so did she. With each flick of his tongue against her lips, she felt something in her lower stomach, making her breath faster and pull closer to Robin. She had heard of the feeling arousal, but never felt it before now…and she loved it. She wanted more. She wanted more of Robin. She wanted more of his lips, his strong hands, his body, his tongue, and just more of him.

The kiss soon became more than innocent. Starfire moved from the side of the bed to almost on top of him. She was straddling his hips and Robin moved his hands to her bare waist. Both of them have wanted this for long and it was almost overwhelming now that it was there.

Robin wished he had taken his gloves off beforehand. He wanted to feel her smooth, orange skin under his fingertips. She was just so beautiful with her mesmerizing eyes, wild red hair, and that short skirt she always wore. The uniform always taunted him during missions, making him miss a shot from time to time. In frustration, Robin threw his gloves to the side and let himself touch her for real. His hands slid down her back, to her waist and settled on her hips. He pulled her even closer to him, making her slip out a small moan.

The sound she let out surprised her, but quickly forgot about it as she felt the feeling grow stronger. It was one of the best emotions she felt since she arrived to Earth and for her to share it with Robin was almost too much. With each touch and inch between them disappear, she felt whole again, she felt better about herself and everything. While the feeling in her lower stomach grew, she felt her heart become solid and strong again. Robin had always felt the same as she did and everything became ten times better now that she knew it.

A neon green light shined brightly and expanded between them. Neither hero noticed until Starfire pulled away.

Worried about if he did something wrong, Robin asked, "Star, is everything okay?"

"Oh, Robin, everything is most joyous!" She almost flew away, but stayed floating slightly in the air. "My powers have returned! I am whole again!"

With powers that rely on emotion, the kiss and love from Robin helped her restore it all and make her feel not useless anymore. His words tried to help, but then again actions do speak louder than words.

"Oh thank you, Robin!" She pulled him into a crushing hug.

Robin choke out, "Uh, Star, what did I do?" Instead of trying to explain she kept giggling and holding on tightly for true joy was overflowing in her heart.

Beast Boy suddenly walked in and saw Starfire on top of Robin in his bed and exclaimed, "Woah woah you guys!"

Robin's face grew bright red as Starfire was oblivious to what Beast Boy could be thinking. She let Robin down and flew to her friend.

"Joyous news, Beast Boy! My powers have been restored!"

Beast Boy looked between her and Robin, who was still blushing furiously, and said, "I'm not gonna even ask how, but sorry for ruining the party. I guess I'll come back later and give you some love birds some alone time." Beast Boy wiggled his eyebrows.

Starfire innocently asked, "What are love birds?"

After Beast Boy tried and failed to explain to her what he meant without making things feel uncomfortable, he quickly left to more or less tell the others what happened. For the rest of the day, and most likely for the rest of the year, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven would not stop whispering to each other:

"Finally."

A/N: I really hope you guys liked this fic! Thanks so much for staying with me through the long ass breaks for those of you who did. And yeah I think the ending could be better but whateves. Anyway, reviews are life and thank you for everything!


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